Degree Course: BIOTECNOLOGIE INDUSTRIALI PER LA SALUTE E IL BENESSERE (LM-8) Syllabus for A.Y. 2018/2019  

The course will be focused on the most innovative principles and experimental approaches regarding the production of proteins to be used in biotechnological approaches related to human health. The course will also extend the knowledge on aspects related to the relation between the structure and the biological activity of the proteins pharmacologically active. Particular emphasis will be paid on antimicrobial peptides and on the applications of antibodies in diagnosis and as new drugs.

Il corso intende preparare gli studenti con adeguata conoscenza dei processi microbici applicabili nell’industria e nell’ambiente. Prevedendo lo studio dei microrganismi in applicazioni atte a migliorare la qualità della vita, a ridurre l’impatto delle attività umane sull’ambiente e a recuperare ambienti degradati. Il corso inoltre permetterà l’acquisizione di tecniche per il controllo dei processi microbici e di metodologie molecolari per l'analisi delle comunità microbiche

Educational goals
The course aims to provide the tools necessary to analyze the experimental data using the most appropriate statistical analysis tools, with the help of theoretical lessons, practical lessons and use of software. At the end of the course the students will be able to analyze experimental data.

This course aims to provide students with the general concepts related to the chemical aspects of catalysis and its applications in the biological and biotechnological fields. Starting from the fundamental aspects of chemical kinetics, a path will be developed which will result in the student being able to discuss the reaction mechanism of some processes of biotechnological interest, identifying the possible catalytic nature of the same and critically discussing the various phases and possible industrial applications.

1) Knowledge and understanding: acquisition by the student of specific contents relating to: i) general principles of chemical kinetics and catalysis; ii) identification of catalytic processes of biotechnological interest, with detailed description of the various phases; iii) placement of the systems studied in the more general context of catalysis and industrial biocatalysis. 2) Ability to apply knowledge and understanding: the student's ability to analyze, in the light of the knowledge acquired, the possible interest, even on a large scale, of a catalytic process, both natural and summary, critically examining the various phases and any application objectives. 3) Making judgments; the teaching will provide the student with the ability to work independently in judgment, also through critical consultation and comparison of teaching materials of various types. In any case, the ability of the individual to interact critically with the other components of a homogeneous class will be developed, stimulating in particular the interaction between the components of the same. 4) Communication skills: the student who attends the course will be continuously asked to illustrate, also through audiovisual techniques, the progress made in the study of the discipline and in the learning of the presented concepts. The teacher will also stimulate the discussion also through an exchange of opinions between the attending students, who will thus become an active part in the process of communication and elaboration of the individual. 5) Ability to learn (learning skills): it will be constantly stimulated also through the administration of tests and exercises to be performed autonomously, with the aim of restoring the results and comparing them with those obtained by students attending the same class. Class exercises and simulations of the final test will also be carried out.

Knowledge and understanding
The course aims to provide students with the theoretical and application bases related to the use of biocatalytic systems applied to various industrial sectors. A broad overview is offered of processes assisted by biocatalysts characterized by real commercial relevance

Ability to apply knowledge and understanding
The student will acquire from the course the guidelines in the selection of the catalyst, of the possible immobilization method and of the most suitable reactor configuration for the target application. Furthermore, he will be in possession of elements that allow him to make a targeted choice between possible alternative commercial formulations containing the enzyme in question based on information provided by the manufacturer and the scientific literature.

Expected learning outcomes
Basic knowledge of current applications of enzymes in free or immobilized form in industrial biocatalysis.
 

TRAINING OBJECTIVES

1) Homics is a set of biomolecular disciplines that belongs to the life sciences and which is divided into different themes (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics).
The main objective of the course is to enable the student to face the study of the main analytical techniques and instruments by deepening his knowledge of modern omic analyzes, essentially applied to a modern vision of early diagnosis. The student will be prepared to face the search for new diagnostic markers in clinical and non-clinical analyzes. At the end of the lectures, during the scheduled workshop (24h), students are given the opportunity to work individually on practical and practical topics. In this way, the student will acquire the ability to analyze the different protein expression starting from protein extracts and the possibility of applying modern analytical tools.

b) EXPECTED LEARNING RESULTS:

1) Knowledge and understanding:
Having acquired a good analytical ability in the field of omics and biotechnology

2) Knowledge and applied comprehension skills:
Knowing how to integrate the knowledge acquired in the individual disciplines into an interdisciplinary knowledge necessary to face any complex problem in the biotechnology sector, in particular being able to apply the knowledge of mass spectrometry to the various applications related to biotechnology.

3) Autonomy of judgment
Students will have to develop the ability to process complex and / or fragmentary information and to arrive at original and autonomous ideas and judgments capable of finding and critically selecting sources of bibliographic data, databases, and the
scientific literature. The autonomy of judgment is developed through the critical study of scientific articles.

4) Communication skills:
The student will be able to hold a critical public discussion on the topics covered in particular will be able to apply proteomics and metabolomics techniques for any scientific topic of interest .. Will be able to work in a team in the field of design and execution of experimental protocols as laboratory credits are foreseen.

5) Ability to learn:
The student will have the ability to identify, apply and develop innovative techniques in the relevant field of
work autonomously.

OBJECTIVES

The course introduces the concepts and experimental approaches to the chemistry of bioactive substances by consolidating the principles gained under the organic chemistry course, focusing on biogenesis, synthesis, chemical structure and pharmacological properties of bioactive substances . In the first part of the course, the concept of the "pharmacophore theory" will be introduced as a minimal structural unit characterized by a specific biological and clinical activity. Bioactive substances, both of synthetic and natural origin, will be classified according to their main pharmacophores. The student will learn to recognize the pharmacophore even in the context of complex molecular structures. In the second part of the course, critical tools will be provided to associate certain pharmacophorees to specific pharmaceutical and pharmacological applications, with particular attention to the molecular action mechanism by with which the bioactive substances act in the body. The student will be able to understand the natural origin of bioactive organic substances and their possible industrial applications by receiving specific training on the design, development and evaluation of new drugs. In addition, due to the knowledge of molecular action mechanisms, the student may associate the use of bioactive substances with specific nutraceutical, cosmeceutic and cosmetic products, including restrictions on the use of potentially toxic substances and the possibility of their use after functional and structural improvement. This knowledge will enable the student to deal with a professional career within the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and cosmeceutical industry.

B) EXPECTED LEARNING RESULTS
• Knowledge and understanding: Knowledge of the principles that define the minimum structural unit of an organic, natural or synthetic molecule, to have a certain biological activity (pharmacophore theory). Knowledge of the relationship between the type of pharmacophore present in an organic molecule and the pharmaceutical and pharmacological activity. Knowledge ot the molecular-level of the action mechanism of the major families of bioactive substances, with particular attention to substances with antioxidant, antiviral, anti-inflammatory and antitumour activity. Knowledge of the key steps for the design of a drug, and procedures for its clinical validation and use. Knowledge of the origin and distribution in nature of the main families of biologically active natural organic substances.
• Applied knowledge and understanding: In addition to the knowledge gained through the bioactive substance chemistry study, students will be able to apply theoretical concepts acquired during the course in solving practical exercises based on the teacher's request to present possible schemes for the design of a drug, having the initial indication of the target of action at the molecular level and knowing the type of pathology against which the treatment therapy is to be developed. In this case, students will also have to apply their previous knowledge of chemistry and biology for complete resolution of the problem.
• Making judgements: At the end of the course, the student will have acquired the necessary training for full autonomy of judgment on the possibility of using a certain organic substance of natural or synthetic origin for the therapy of a certain pathology . The student will then be able to link the acquired knowledge of biochemistry, molecular biology, enzymology, physiology and genetic to the design of a substance applicable in the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and cosmeceutical fields.
• Communication skills: students will be continuously and consistently invited to participate actively in the lesson in order to deepen the topic and to collect proposals for possible solutions in the case of complex phatological scenarios. In this activity, students will be called upon to meet in order to support their ideas. The educational pitch is aimed at increasing the communicative skills and the ability to know how to work and to confront a group, all aimed at consolidating the acquired concepts.
• Learning Skills: Students' learning abilities will be evaluated during the course of the course by tests that will allow to individually monitor the maturation state of the knowledge, highlighting the student's ability to return the aquired cencepts.

The course, which provides an at least intermediate level of knowledge of the English language, is aimed at strengthening the main level B2 language structures.