3rd year (5th semester)

This course introduces the fundamental principles and methods of study of how microbes interact with their environments, including biotic (interactions with other organisms) and abiotic factors statistics with a special focus on applications in geological engineering. Introduction to the fundamental role of microorganisms in shaping Earth's surface processes, with a focus on their contributions lo geology and petroleum systems. It highlights how microbial activity drives chemical transformations in soils and sediments, influencing geomorphological and geological structures. This course examines the potential of microbes to affect Earth surface dynamics in concert with climate and tectonic forces, offering insights into both natural systems and their economic significance in fields like petroleum geology.

Molecular microbial ecology course provides engineers with powerful tools to collect, organize, analyze, and interpret data in the presence of uncertainty. In geological engineering, where natural variability is inherent in soil, rock, mineral, and groundwater systems, microbial molecular ecology is essential for making informed engineering decisions.

Topics include introduction into the sheer diversity of microbial life, overview of modern molecular techniques based on direct extraction and sequencing DNA/RNA from environmental samples the impact of microbial activity in economic geology, the world of wide variety and different types of participating microorganisms and their ecology. Also explores invisible and powerful microbial communities shaping petroleum resources (methanogens, sulfate reducers, iron & nitrate reducers, fermenters). Participation of microbes in petroleum reservoirs: influence on oil composition, reservoir geochemistry, and in critical carbon cycling processes.

Throughout the semester, emphasis is placed on engineering aspects of microbial ecology, rather than on molecular mechanisms, thus helping students to develop the skill to recognize specifics of the processes involved in petroleum formation and real-world geological problems such as mineral reserve, rock and soil formation, combining geology, chemistry, and microbiology to drive innovation in sustainable petroleum technologies.