BIOMEDICINA GENOMICA E DEI SISTEMI COMPLESSI

BIO/13 - 6 CFU - 2° Semester

Teaching Staff

MICHELE PURRELLO


Learning Objectives

To obtain advanced knowledge and competences in Human Biology, Genetics and Genomics, related to Biotechnology and its translational applications to Medicine


Course Structure

Lectures through powerpoint presentations



Detailed Course Content

The Human Genome Project (HGP) and the genome projects of a plethora of other organisms and viruses have profoundly modified our knowledge on their biology and accordingly the perspectives of its translational applications to Biotechnology and BioMedicine. Progress in the fields of: Molecular Medicine [Genomics (including ncRNAs), Epigenomics, Transcriptomics, Proteomics (including protein post-translational modifications), Interactomics, Human Pathogenomics], Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, Biotechnology have determined an important evolution of Human Biology, Genetics and Genomics. This academic discipline aims to allow students to gather a global vision of the structure of organisms and their cells, together with their physiological functions and alterations in pathology: the final aim is the design of rational biotechnological manipulations. The Course on Human Biology, Genetics, Genomics comprises advanced seminars on the biomolecular structure of our genome and organism [eg, the biomolecular functions of non coding RNAs (ncRNAs), their biological roles, and involvement in pathology; microvesicles, exosomes, their molecular cargo and corresponding biomolecular functions]: it aims to transmit to the students an unifying vision of Human Biology, Genetics and Genomics and to allow them to insert this knowledge in the context of our organism and of human Physiopathology. The ensuing comprehension of the human biological logic should allow students to understand the conceptual bases of Biomolecular Medicine and their medical biotechnological applications. The course, which features a peculiar Top > Down approach, comprises a series of advanced seminars on Molecular, Genome and Complex Systems BioMedicine. Specifically, it describes projects as Encode, The Human Methylome, The Human Proteome, The Human Interactome, which have determined a critically important evolution of our knwoledge of genome structure and functions. The omic structure of cellular machineries and apparati (Cell Cycle Machinery, DNA Replication Machinery, DNA Repair Machinery, Transcription Apparatus, Protein Synthesis Machinery, Machinery for the Synthesis and Targeting of Microvesicles and Exosomes, Signal Transduction Apparatus, Apoptotic Machinery) will be analyzed aiming to correlate it to their biomolecular functions, involvement in pathology, and potential biotechnological modifications. Evolution is a constant theme throughout the course. Students are invited to undergo an intense laboratory training to acquire appropriate working knowledge on Molecular Medicine and Biotechnology. The Section of Biology and Genetics of the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Biotechnology has the instrumentation needed to perform advanced research in Molecular Medicine and Biotechnology.

Course Plan
-Genome BioMedicine: Definition, History, fields of investigation, prospective contribution to
Medicine.
-Molecular and Complex Systems BioMedicine: the Olystic Approach to the study of organisms
and their cells - From the Omics to the biology of organisms and their cells.
-Genome Projects and the Gene Candidate Approach to study the phenotype and the functions
of genes.
-Gene and genome expression regulation.
-Advanced High Throughput technologies (Including Biotechnologies) to study cell structure and
functions.
-Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and its experimental applications.
- Experimental technologies for Genome and Transcriptome modification (eg, CRISPR).
-Computational Biology and BioInformatics.
-Cell Machineries and Apparati: genome structure, molecular structure, evolution, related
pathology (eg, Cell Cycle and DNA Duplication Machinery, Transcription Machinery, Apparatus
For Synthesis of Microvesicles and Exosomes and Cargo Loading, Signal Transduction
Machinery, Apoptotic Machinery).
-A new vision of the Genome: critical biomolecular roles of non coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in gene
regulation and their involvement in genetic pathology.
-The Encode Project.
-The Human Proteome Project.
-The Human Methylome Project.
-The Human Interactome Project.
-Biological networks: structural and functional complexity, analytical methods, experimental
applications.
-Stem Cells: biology, biotechnology, therapeutic applications.
-Biodiritto e Bioetica: legislazione, filosofia morale.



Textbook Information

Molecular and Cellular Biology, Lodish et Al.
Molecular Biology of the Cell, Alberts et Al.
Genetics in Medicine, Thompson e Thompson.
Human Molecular Genetics, Strachan et Al.




Open in PDF format Versione in italiano