Microorganisms Ecology - Practical student course

In 2026 the student course “Microorganisms Ecology” at the University of Klaipeda will take place from 16.03.-20.03.2026 and 20.04.-24.04.2026 with 15 participants and the supervisors Prof. Matthias Labrenz, Dr. Greta Gyraite, Tutul Saha, and Dr. Christiane Hassenrück.

Topics to be taught are

• core concepts and evolution of microorganisms, molecules and origins of life
• characteristics of communities and diversity
• study of individual microorganisms
• bacterial isolation comprising classical identification methods and molecular identification methods
• PCR, 16S rRNA gene sequencing, phylogeny
• bioinformatics
• growth and feeding, cultivation
• fundamentals of microbial population ecology
• microbes and processing nutrients
• microbes and processes

The programme includes field work, laboratory work, lectures, student presentations and interactive group work.