FINAL MIBI REVIEW

1. Differentiate algae, fungi, protozoa and bacteria from each other? (cái bảng)
What are the common characteristics of fungi and slime molds (myxomycetes)?
Slime molds are microbial eukaryotes that have phenotypic similarities to fungi. Like fungi, slime molds
undergo a life cycle and can produce spores.
Why slime molds are belonged to protozoa kingdom?
- Slime molds have unusual morphology. Hence, they are placed in Kingdom Protista. Some stages of
their life cycle exhibit Protistan characteristics while some other stages exhibit Fungal characteristics.
- Slime molds lack chitin in their cell walls. Hence, they are not Fungi. Slime molds have a single yellow
blob with many nuclei. This is a characteristic feature of plasmodium (member of Protozoa). Spores
produced in slime molds have cellulose in their cell walls which is not present in Fungal cell walls.

2. General characteristics of algae?

- Algae belong to the Kingdom Protista, are phototrophic eukaryotic microorganism, no xylem, no true
roots, no stems, no leaves.
- Habitats: moist environment
Lichen (địa y): fungus + algae
- Modes of nutrition: photosynthetic
+ Photosynthetic pigment: chlorophylls
+ Accessory pigment: brown, red, blue, gold
- Cell – structure: unicellular; multicellular
Cell wall: cellulose have silica
- Algal reproduction
Vegetative reproduction: some part of the parent germination  new individual
Asexual reproduction: vẽ hình

Sexual reproduction: vẽ hình

How to classify algae?

- Cell morphology: shape, color, cell arrangement
- Chlorophyll and other pigments: chlorophyll a, b, c or d
- Carbon reserve polymers: starch, lipid drops
- Cell wall structure: cellulose, silicon
- Type of motility
- Gene sequencing: 18s, rRNA

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 Describe 1 application of algae? – Algae biofuel
Because of the high oil content and rapid biomass production, Algae has been recognized as a
potentially good source of biofuel production. Algae can potentially contain over 80% total lipids. They
can be cultivated with minimal impact on fresh water resources
They can be produced using waste and ocean water. They are biodegradable and harmless to the
environment even if spilled.
Benefits of algae:
- Synthesize and contain high levels of neutral lipid (20-50%)
- Can be harvested throughout the year, so the oil yield is much higher than other oil crops
- Consume much less water than plants grown on land
- Cleaning of waste water sources containing NH +, NO -, PO 3-

3. Why wastewater must be treated before being discharged into water body (e.g. river)?
The goal is to reduce or remove as much organic matters, solids, nutrients, disease causing organism and
other pollutants as possible from the effluent before it is discharged into the environment.

Describe the process of wastewater treatment?

Step 1 – Primary Treatment: Physical Processes: This involves the separation of organic solid matter
(or human waste) from the wastewater. This is done by putting the wastewater into large settlement
tanks for the solids to sink to the bottom of the tank. Large scrappers push the sludge towards the center
where it is pumped away for further treatment. The rest of the water is then moved to the Secondary
treatment.
Step 2 – Secondary Treatment: Microbial Processes: The water, at this stage, is put into large
rectangular tanks. These are called aeration lanes. Air is pumped into the water to encourage bacteria to
break down the tiny bits of sludge that escaped the sludge scrapping process.
Step 3 – Disinfection and Release: Chemical Processes: Next, the ‘almost’ treated wastewater is passed
through a settlement tank. Here, more sludge is formed at the bottom of the tank from the settling of the
bacterial action. Again, the sludge is scraped and collected for treatment. The water is almost free from
harmful substances and chemicals. The water is allowed to flow over a wall where it is filtered through a
bed of sand to remove any additional particles. 
The filtered water is then released into the river. 

What are the roles of microbes in wastewater treatment?

- The use of microorganisms in wastewater treatment results in the following:
FOG (Fats, Oil and Grease) removal
BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand) reduction
COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) reduction
TSS (Total Suspended Solids) reduction
Odor elimination
- HOW DO BACTERIA REMOVE POLLUTANTS FROM WASTEWATER?
There are two primary methods that microorganisms employ when reducing the level of pollutants in
wastewater. These are:
+ Aerobic digestion is a primary wastewater treatment process, used for the purification of wastewater
into a more useful, environmentally friendly effluent. The process involves trillions of bacteria which
rely on oxygen to survive and multiply. Microbes digest organic waste by stealing its oxygen, altering
the chemical makeup of the material into a less environmentally damaging matter.
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 + Anaerobic digestion is the biological fermentation of organic matter. Organic materials are converted
into biogas, which helps to reduce pollutants and contaminants from the water. Anaerobic treatments are
used to alter the chemical composition of the organic material found in wastewater to make it more
environmentally friendly.

4. Characteristics of Bacillus thuringiensis?

- B. thurigiensis is a gram – positive, soil dwelling, spore forming, rod shape bacteria.
- Bacterium Bt produces protein, delta-endotoxin that is toxic to insects in orders Lepidoptera, Coleoptera
(beetles)
- Bt toxin in form of powder used as insecticide spray  applied to leaves where larvae feed on.
Describe an application of this bacterium in agriculture?
- Insect eats Bt crystals and bacterial spores. Bt crystals dissolve at high pH in insect gut.
- Toxin binds to specific receptors in gut and insects stops eating.
- Toxin causes the gut wall to break down, allowing spores and normal gut bacteria to enter the body.
- Insect dies as spores and gut bacteria proliferate in the body.
How BT crop (insect resistant crop) are created?
Step1: Extracting the desired gene from other organisms.
Step 2: cloning the desired gene of interest
Step 3: Designing the gene
Step 4: Transformation process
Step 5: Plant breeding.

5. Methods of fungal classification?

 Classification of Asexual fungi:  Classification of Sexual fungi:
- Morphological method - Morphology:
+ Colony (color, size, shape, pigment) + Fruiting body (structure, shape,
+ Mycelium color)
+ Asexual spore (type, size) + Sexual spore (shape, type, size)
- Molecular analysis - Habitat (physiological characteristic,
+ Mycelium  ITS gene taste, smell)
- Molecular analysis:
+ Mycelium  ITS gene

6. Causes of algae blooms and the consequences?

 Fresh water bloom:
 Eutrophication: process in which nutrients (like nitrogen and phosphorus) build up over time causing
an increase in algae growth.
 Cause:
- Spreading fertilizers on fields and lawns.
+ Nutrients run off into water
+ Nitrogen and Phosphorus are 2 of the biggest components of fertilizers
- Sewage treatment plants can leak waster water into the soil.
+ Ground water travels to bodies of water
7. How to classify slime molds?
- Myxomycete identification: based upon overall morphological characteristics of the fruiting bodies
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 - Myxomycete nomenclature
8. Propose a procedure for wastewater treatment coupling with methane (CH4) production?

9. Definition of nitrogen fixation, ammonification, nitrification, nitrification and denitrification

processes in Nitrogen cycle?
 Nitrogen fixation: is a process by which nitrogen in the air is converted into ammonia.
N2 – NH3
N2 fixing bacteria: Mycorrhizal bacteria and Free – living bacteria
 Ammonification: a process where bacteria on other decomposed break down nitrogen – containing
chemical from waste or dead body into simple chemicals.
Protein – NH3
Hetertroph (bacteria + fungi)
 Nitrification: a process where bacteria, if exposed to oxygen, is able to convert chemicals such as
nitrogen, oxygen, nitrites + ammonia into nitrates that plants are able to use.
NH3 – NO2- - NO3-
Nitrosomonas, Nitrobacter
 Denitrification: a process is opposite of nitrification. Bacteria not exposed to oxygen, break nitrates into
nitrites, then into nitrogen gas.
NO3- ------ N2
Pseudomonas

10. Effects/Roles of microorganism in food industry?

 Cheese making process:
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 - Fresh milk is pasteurized to kill unwanted microorganisms.
- Addition of starter bacterial culture to make coagulation of milk proteins which contains curd
and whey.
- Disposal of liquid whey as waste product.
- Curd is production of unprocessed cheese.
- Cutting curd by processing, addition of secondary microbial culture and aging.
 Wine making process:
- Preparation of must by stemming and crushing of grapes  sterilize by O2
- Addition of starter culture of yeast and bacteria.
- Fermentation of must alone into wine.
- Clarification of wine.
- Aging of wine to kill yeast cells.
- Bottling of wine
11. How blue cheese is made? Point out the roles of the microbes involved?
"Blue Vein cheeses," also called blue cheese, is a generic term used to describe a cheese produced with
cow's milk, sheep's milk, or goat's milk and ripened with cultures of the mold Penicillium. The final
product is characterized by green, gray, blue, or black veins or spots of mold throughout the body. These
veins are created during the production stage when cheese is "spiked" with stainless steel rods to let
oxygen circulate and encourage the growth of the mold. This process also softens the texture and
develops the distinctive blue flavor.
12. Describe life cycle of a typical slime mold/ myxomycete. (Hình trong tập)

13. What is eutrophication/ red tide phenomenon? How to prevent it from happening?
Eutrophication: an enrichment by or excess of nutrients to water, which may result in an explosive growth
of algae.
Red tide: phenomenon caused by algal blooms during which algae becomes so numerous that they discolor
coastal water. The algal bloom ay also deplete oxygen in water and release toxin that may cause illness in
human and other animals.
 Prevent: to prevent external nutrients from getting to water body: controlling + treating waste from both
industries + houses; not overusing fertilizers + preventing animal excretes from livestock get to water.
14. What is bioremediation?

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Bioremediation is the process of using organisms to neutralize or remove contamination or pollutants from
waste without using any toxic chemicals.
Describe an example: Oil spill cleanup
In 2010, 3.19 million barrels of oil spilled off the Gulf of Mexico. They clean up the oil spill by injecting a
small amount of oil-degrading microbes into an affected area. And by adding nutrients to stimulate the
growth of oil-degrading microbes to increase the rate of remediation.