Teacher
|
SESTILI Francesco
(syllabus)
PROGRAM The course is organized in two main sections: the first is focused on biochemistry and the second on molecular biology. Biochemistry 1- Introduction to the course / Basics 2-Carbohydrates: Monosaccharides, polysaccharides, glycoconjugates. 3- Nucleotides and Nucleic Acids. 4-Amino acids, peptides and proteins. Primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary structure of proteins. Function of proteins. The role of enzymes. 5-Lipids: reserve lipids, membrane lipids, lipids as signals and cofactors. Exercises: carbohydrates: determination of total starch / amylose in wheat kernels. Molecular Biology - 1-Organization of genetic material in species of agricultural interest 2- DNA replication 3- Transcription 4- Translation 5- Overview of gene regulation in plants of agricultural interest 6- Recombinant DNA technology. - Overview of Microbiology / cloning of genes isolated from plant species - Genbank and database Exercises 1- Working with E. coli (cloning of plant-isolated genes) 2- Extraction of plasmid DNA 3- Quantification of nucleic acids / DNA digestion 4- Electrophoresis. Applications of recombinant DNA technology 1- Genetic modification of plants 2- GMOs: myths and superstitions 3- Selected cases of products deriving from genetically modified plants
(reference books)
Biochimica e biologia molecolare. Principi e tecniche.Edizione italiana a cura di Mirella S. Pilone e Loredano Pollegioni. Raffaello Cortina Editore. Teaching materials provided by the professor.
Introduzione alla Biochimica di Lehninger. David L. Nelson, Michael M. Cox. Zanichelli.
|