SUBJECT

Classical and molecular bacterium taxonomy I

lecture

master

Faculty of Science

Biology MSc

2

Semesters 1-4

Autumn/Spring semester

1. The importance and development of taxonomy/systematics from Linne until the 21st century

2. Species concepts in biology. Species concept and species definition. Species definitions in microbiology. Strain and clone.

3. Classical methods of phenotypic characterisation. Application of cluster analysis in phenotypic studies.

4. Chemotaxonomy and its phylogenetic consequences. Universal and group specific traits.

5. The bacterial genome and phylogenetics. Semantophor compounds.

6. Use of molecular genetic tools in taxonomy.

7. Construction of phylogenetic trees, underlying dogma, verification studies.

8. Polyphasic taxonomy.

9. Other taxa than species in bacteriology and microbiology.

10. The universal tree of life. The three domain system.

11. Important divisions of Bacteria and Archaea

12. Unity of classical and modern taxonomy. Taxonomy and the every day praxis: clinical diagnostics, ecotype, etc.

13. Main lines of descent represented only by clones. Culture independent techniques.

14. Results of metagenome projects: whole genoms of yet uncultured organisms.

• Towner K.J.-Cockayne A.: Molecular Methods for Microbial Identification and Typing. Chapman & Hall, London, 1995

• Stackebrandt E. (ed.): Molecular identification, systematics and population structure of prokaryotes. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 2006