DEPARTMENT OF BIOMEDICAL AND BIOTECHNOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Bachelor's Degree in Biotechnology
Academic Year 2021/2022 - 1° Year - BIOTECNOLOGIE BIOMEDICHE Curriculum, BIOTECNOLOGIE AGRARIE Curriculum and BIOTECNOLOGIE FARMACEUTICHE Curriculum

BIOLOGIA GENERALE E BIOLOGIA DEI MICRORGANISMI A - L

Teaching Staff

Learning Objectives

• Applied Biology
  

  The course aims to provide information to understand the general principles on which life is based. The main educational purposes of the course are the following:
  -a knowledge of chemical and molecular fundaments of life
  -the study of cell structure and function
  -a knowledge of the basic mechanisms of transmission of the genetic information
  -the study of the principles of development and differentiation
  -a basic knowledge of the biological Kingdoms and of the most relevant model organisms in biotechnology and biomedicine

  The main abilities the students should obtain are the following:
  - understanding and learning the chemical and molecular bases of life, applying them to the study
  of structures and functions of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells
  - acquiring the basic information about the mechanisms of replication, transmission and expression of genetic information
  - understanding and learning the basic principles of energy production and transformation in living cells
  - understanding the basic mechanisms of development and differentiation, applying them to more advanced studies of cell biology and biotechnology
  - acquiring basic information about living Kingdoms and on the most relevant model organisms in biotechnology and biomedicine
  - develop an ability to communicate the acquired information using a correct terminology
  - develop the ability to synthesize the relevant information and to analyse in a logic and critical way the acquired information

• Biology of Microorganisms
  

  The aim of this course is to give students a perspective on the microbial diversity. In particular, The students will learn basic knowledge on the structure, metabolism and genetics of microorganisms, the role of the factors that influence microbial growth, the principles and the methods for the cultivation and identification of microorganisms.

Course Structure

• Applied Biology
  

  The course is organized in 35 hours of frontal teaching through lectures with the aid of slides and videos, and 12 hours of practice exercises

• Biology of Microorganisms
  

  Frontal classes.

  Compulsory course attendance.

  Should teaching be carried out in mixed mode or remotely, it may be necessary to introduce changes with respect to previous statements, in line with the programme planned and outlined in the syllabus.

Detailed Course Content

• Applied Biology
  

  Introduction to biology and methods in the Life Sciences. Origin of life and living kingdoms. Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes. General information on the chemistry of living things: carbohydrates and lipids, amino acids and proteins, nucleotides and nucleic acids. Eubacteria and Archeobacteria. Origin of the eukaryotic cell: the animal and plant cell. Eukaryote compartments and organelles: biological entities of uncertain classification. Cell membranes and membrane transport. The eukaryotic nucleus and the structure of the eukaryotic chromosome. Structure and replication of DNA. Transmission of genetic information: the genetic code and the transcription. Ribosomes, translation and protein synthesis. Control of gene expression: post-transcriptional and post-translational modifications. The cytoskeleton and cellular communication. Cell cycle, mitosis and meiosis. Mitochondria and their origin. Elements of cell plant biology. Signal transduction. Apoptosis. Stem cells.

• Biology of Microorganisms
  

  History of microbiology. Contributions of microbiology to human health and biotechnology.

  First microscopical observations; spontaneous generation theory; concept of transmissible disease, contagion, and infection: concept of immunity against transmissible disease. Microbial genetic and molecular biology development. Precellular evolution and origin of life. Role of microrganism in human evolution. Virus discovery, first vaccines.

  Bacterial cell: cell wall in gram-positive and gram-negative: peptidoglycan structure; teichoic acid, proteins and others components. Outer membrane in gram-negative bacteria: function and organization; lipopolisaccarid structure. Cytoplasmic membrane: structure and function. Fimbria and pili as adhesion structures and their antigenicity. Flagella and bacterial movement. Bacterial chromosome organization. Bacterial spore as differentiation condition in bacteria: structure, resistance to physical and chimical agents, regulation of sporulation and germination, biological and medical significance. Bacterial growth: biological significance of growth steps in liquid media; relationship between bacterial growth in vitro and pathogenesis of infections; solid and liquid culture media; isolation in pure culture.

  Sterilization and disinfection. Anti- infective drugs. Sterilization and disinfection: biological basis of physical agents action (dry and moist heat, filtration, ultraviolet and ionizing radiations), chemical agents (disinfectants and sterilizing substances).

  Genetic regulation. Positive and negative controls. Feedback. Lac operon. Tryptophan regulation. Diauxic curve.

  Genetics of bacteria. Mutations. Mechanisms of bacterial transfer: Conjugation, transformation and transduction.

  Virus structure and classification. Bacteriofages.

Textbook Information

• Applied Biology
  

  Hillis et al., Fondamenti di Biologia - Zanichelli

  Savada et al., Elementi di Biologia e Genetica

  It is important to use last issue/edition of the indicated volumes.

• Biology of Microorganisms
  

  1) Brock. Biologia dei microrganismi. Microbiologia generale, ambientale e industriale. Pearson Editore.
  
  2) Gianni Dehò e Enrica Galli. Biologia dei microrganismi. Casa editrice Ambrosiana.