This laboratory course takes an interdisciplinary approach to sustainability and health, integrating microbiology, food systems, urban planning and public policies within the One Health framework. It examines the role of microorganisms in food production and waste reduction, also addressing regulatory and safety aspects of microbial-based products, including probiotics and nutraceuticals. In parallel, it explores sustainable urban planning strategies, with a focus on mobility, transport and territorial policies aimed at making cities more inclusive, safe and resilient. By connecting these two perspectives, the course highlights the interconnection between food, microorganisms and urban environments, underlining their collective impact on public health, sustainability and policy development. Through theoretical lectures and practical applications, students will develop critical analysis skills, interdisciplinary problem-solving and understanding of the tools needed for sustainable food production and urban planning.

The laboratory course aims to provide students with an integrated understanding of sustainability in food and urban systems, promoting the ability to evaluate and develop sustainable strategies that improve public health through the application of microbiology to food and land management. Students will acquire knowledge on the regulatory and economic aspects of sustainability and develop interdisciplinary approaches to address contemporary global challenges related to food safety, mobility and environmental impact.

The course is structured in two main areas, integrating microbiology and urban planning in a sustainability perspective. The first part focuses on the role of microorganisms in food systems and human health, with a particular focus on their applications in food production, preservation and waste reduction, as well as on the regulatory and safety aspects of microbial-based products, such as probiotics and nutraceuticals. The second part addresses sustainable territorial planning, with a focus on mobility strategies, transport policies and regional development aimed at creating more resilient and sustainable cities. By combining these perspectives, the course provides a comprehensive understanding of the intersection between food systems, microbial applications and urban sustainability in the context of the One Health concept.

This structure of the laboratory course guarantees students the acquisition of both scientific and political-managerial skills, allowing them to critically evaluate and develop solutions at the intersection of microbiology, production food, public health and urban sustainability.

Knowledge and understanding
Upon completion of the course, students will have acquired:
• A basic understanding of the role of microorganisms in sustainable food systems, including fermentations, probiotics and prevention of foodborne diseases.
• Awareness of policies, regulatory frameworks and economic implications of sustainable food production and microbial applications.
• Understanding of sustainable urban planning principles, with a focus on transport and mobility strategies to reduce environmental and social impacts.
• The ability to evaluate sustainability strategies from both a microbiological and urban planning perspective, integrating concepts of food safety and land management in the One Health approach.

Applying knowledge and understanding
At the end of the course, students will be able to:
• analyze and develop microbial applications for sustainable food production, assessing their safety, regulatory compliance and economic sustainability;
• design and evaluate sustainable territorial strategies, with a focus on policies that improve urban resilience and reduce anthropogenic impacts on the environment;
• integrate microbiological and urban planning approaches to propose innovative solutions to global sustainability challenges;
• effectively communicate the results to policy makers, industry professionals and the scientific community, contributing to the development of more sustainable and public health-conscious societies.

Making judgements
At the end of the course the student will be able to:
• apply the acquired knowledge in various contexts;
• transfer the concepts and approaches introduced in a certain context to connected fields;
• elaborate the concepts discussed in the course.

Communication skills
At the end of the course the student should be able to
• analyse problems in the ares covered by the course in a clear and concise way;
• explain orally with a suitable language the objectives, the procedures and the results of the elaborations carried
out.

Learning skills
At the end of the course the student should be able to different from those presented during the course, and to understand the topics covered in the scientific literature concerning the sustainability issue.