The course is designed to teach students the microbial diversity and functions of natural and anthropogenic environments. The course will provide the knowledge of the main functional group of microorganisms in water and soil environments, their interactions with other organisms and their role in biogeochemical cycles, focusing on physiological and molecular basis of their functions. The main technologies for environmental protection and bioremediation of polluted soils and for biological wastewater treatment will be included, along with the methodologies for the sampling, monitoring and characterization of the environmental microbial communities.