ENCE 637 - Biological Principles of Environmental Engineering

Instructor: Eric A. Seagren
Office: EGR 1149
Office Phone: (301) 405-4828
Fax: (301) 405-2585
Email: eseagren@eng.umd.edu
Office hours: 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM, 12:15 PM - 1:15 PM Tuesday and Thursday, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Wednesday, or by appointment

• ENCE 315 Introduction to Environmental Engineering
• ENCE 633 Chemistry of Natural Waters
• Any microbiology, biology, or biochemistry classes

1. List each of the four major types of biochemical polymers, its monomeric building block, key characteristics of the monomer, and a cellular structure that incorporates the biochemical polymer.
2. Describe the differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells and sketch each type of cell, including its major components.
3. Perform free energy, stoichiometry, and redox reaction calculations.
4. Describe the TCA cycle and the concepts of proton motive force, fermentation, and respiration.
5. Apply the mathematics of batch and continuous cultures of microorganisms and understand the key environmental factors affecting growth.
6. Write and apply the Michaelis-Menten and Monod equations for enzyme catalysis and growth, respectively, and explain how they are similar and different.
7. Describe the key concepts of the processes of DNA replication, transcription, and translation and how cells regulate the activity and amounts of enzymes synthesized.
8. Define the terms mutation, recombination, transformation, transduction, plasmid, conjugation, and transposon.
9. Appropriately apply the binomial system of nomenclature used by microbiologists and be able to distinguish between taxonomy and phylogeny and describe why each is important.
10. Compare and contrast the key examples of prokaryotic metabolic diversity covered in class and describe their importance from ecological and applied perspectives.
11. Differentiate between the key groups of eukaryotic microorganisms (protozoa, fungi, algae) based on their distinctive features.
12. Describe the general properties of viruses and the general features of virus reproduction.
13. Show schematically the key roles of microorganisms in the carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur biogeochemical cycles.
14. Describe how the metabolic diversity of microorganisms is applied in wastewater treatment to remove organic carbon and inorganic phosphorous and nitrogen and in soil and groundwater remediation to degrade petroleum products and xenobiotics.
15. Draw a flow chart illustrating the overall process of degradation of complex organic compounds under methanogenic conditions such as exist in an anaerobic digester.
16. List the major waterborne diseases, the name and type of organism that causes each disease, and the methods used to monitor for these pathogens.

• Companion resources to the textbook may be found at:Brock Biology of Microbiology
  
• Multiple choice and essay questions may be found at that site, as well as study guides. Periodic assignments may be made using this site.

• American Society for Microbiology

• Digital Learning Center for Microbial Ecology
• Microbial Underground
• The Tree of Life
• Biology Links
• Cells Alive

• The University of Minnesota Biocatalysis/Biodegradation Database

• Bioremediation and Phytoremediation Glossary
• NABIR Bioremediation Glossary

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