Enrollment year
2021/2022
Academic discipline
BIO/18 (GENETICS)
Department
DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY "LAZZARO SPALLANZANI"
Course
EXPERIMENTAL AND APPLIED BIOLOGY
Period
2nd semester (01/03/2022 - 14/06/2022)
Lesson hours
48 lesson hours
Prerequisites
Students must have acquired the contents of Genetics and Molecular Biology, which will be crucial to understand how to study the molecular, phylogenetic and functional characteristics of DNA.
Learning outcomes
This course will focus on the recent advances in molecular genetics and on their application to investigate nuclear/cytoplasmic genomes. The first part provides an overview of molecular genetics techniques to study and characterize entire genomes, with implications in the field of biomedicine and biotechnology.
During the first part, we will explore the basis of molecular phylogenetics (focusing on the human mitogenome, which is also target of the practical training) whose objective is to reconstruct the tree-like pattern that describes the evolutionary relationships between the organisms, with applications in the fields of medical, forensics and population genetics.
At the end of the course students will be able to apply scientific methodology to solve problems of molecular genetics and to participate in group discussion on a topic of research.
Course contents
Introduction to genomics. Genomes, transcriptomes and proteomes.
Origin and evolution of genomes. Prokaryotic genome and lateral gene transfer. Extranuclear inheritance and the genetic/molecular characteristics of cytoplasmic genomes. Human mtDNA as an example of animal mitochondrial genome.
Enzymes for DNA manipulation: DNA polymerases (and PCR), nucleases, ligases. Optimized methods for total nucleic acid extraction and quantification. PCR amplification and RFLP analysis. The application of molecular genetics approaches to study the human mtDNA: Cybrids and mitochondria dysfunctions; RFLP analyses and whole genome sequencing.
Whole genome sequencing (WGS): automated classical method (Sanger); shotgun and hierarchic approaches. Gene libraries and cloning vectors. Next generation sequencing (NGS) systems: e.g. Illumina sequencing and Ion torrent.
Molecular markers: classification (microsatellites and SNPs) and screening (Chip).
Analysis of genomic sequences. Looking for an Open Reading Frame (ORF). Assigning a gene function: computer-based and experimental approaches. Forward and reverse genetics (e.g.ATM).
Teaching methods
Face to face lessons and practical training.
Reccomended or required readings
BIOTECNOLOGIE MOLECOLARI (Principi e tecniche) Seconda edizione (Brown TA – Zanichelli)
Genomes (Brown TA – Edises).
Presentation slides will be crucial for the final exam.
Assessment methods
Oral exam: an interview on the topics covered during the lectures and on laboratory activities.
Further information
For further information:
alessandro.achilli@unipv.it
Sustainable development goals - Agenda 2030
Some of the
topics in this course are in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development, in particular with Goal 15 - Protect, restore and promote
sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems / halt biodiversity loss.
The goals 
Università di Pavia - Offerta formativa