300122 VO Biology and Evolution of Archaea (2020W)

The Archaea are a group of organisms clearly distinguishable from the domains of the Bacteria and the Eukarya. Since their recognition as a separate domain of life, the Archaea have played a crucial part in models of the early evolution of cellular life forms, prompting vigorous debate about the course of evolution on Earth. In particular, their information processing systems (transcription, replication, etc) exhibit striking similarity to that of Eukaryotes. Further, many archaeal species are prevalent in extreme environments and they hold a number of the records for growth and survival under many ecological extremes. In addition, at least two lineages of Archaea are widely distributed in moderate environments and play crucial roles in global biogeochemical cycles.
This lecture series deals with the evolution, genetics, cell biology, and ecology of the fascinating group of archaea and it also presents how they can be exploited biotechnologically.
The lecture will be given in English.