MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
Stampa
Enrollment year
2019/2020
Academic year
2021/2022
Regulations
DM270
Academic discipline
BIO/11 (MOLECULAR BIOLOGY)
Department
DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY "LAZZARO SPALLANZANI"
Course
BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Curriculum
PERCORSO COMUNE
Year of study
Period
1st semester (01/10/2021 - 14/01/2022)
ECTS
9
Lesson hours
72 lesson hours
Language
Italian
Activity type
WRITTEN TEST
Teacher
NERGADZE SOLOMON (titolare) - 3 ECTS
GIULOTTO ELENA - 6 ECTS
Prerequisites
Passing the Genetics exam is required. A good knowledge of basic Biochemistry is also required.
Learning outcomes
Students will reach a basic knowledge of the main subjects in molecular biology and will learn the main methods with particular attention to recombinant DNA technology. Through specific examples, students will learn the experimental procedures that led to the most relevant discoveries in the field.
Course contents
Structure of nucleic acids.
DNA replication: general mechanism, proteins involved in replication of procaryotes and eukaryotes, replication origins, telomeres and telomerase.
Recombinant DNA technology: restriction endonucleases, molecular cloning (vectors, libraries, examples of cloning strategies), DNA sequencing, PCR, site-specific mutagenesis.
Transcription and regulation of gene expression in bacteria and in eukaryotes, trascription factors, maturation of mRNA in eukaryotes, alternative splicing, chromatin organization and gene expression.
DNA damage, mutation and DNA repair: direct damage reversal, excision repair, mismatch repair, double strand break repair.
Recombination: homologous, site-specific, illegittimate.
Transposition: DNA transposons, retrotransposons, role of transposons in evolution.
Genome organization.
Molecular biology of cancer cells; mutations and cancer, oncogenes, mechanisms of oncogene activation, onco-suppressor genes, sporadic and hereditary tumours, applications of molecular biology to prevention, diagnosis and cure of cancer.
Teaching methods
The course comprises lectures during which the interaction between students and teacher is stimulated by questions of the teacher. At the end of each lecture the teacher answers to student questions. The slides shown during classes are distributed to the students through KIRO.
Reccomended or required readings
=- Amaldi F, Benedetti P, Pesole G, Plevani P.
Biologia Molecolare, seconda edizione
Casa Editrice Ambrosiana
- Cooper GM, Hausmann RE
La cellula un approccio molecolare, terza edizione italiana
Piccin
- Lewin B, Krebs JE, Goldstein E, Kulpatrick ST
Il gene, seconda edizione italiana compatta
Zanichelli
Assessment methods
Written exam with open questions and multiple choice questions. During the course a test in progress is carried out. In addition, students are required to fill anonymous questionnaires to test their preparation.
Further information
Written exam with open questions and multiple choice questions. During the course a test in progress is carried out. In addition, students are required to fill anonymous questionnaires to test their preparation.
Sustainable development goals - Agenda 2030