MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
Academic year and teacher
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- Versione italiana
- Academic year
- 2022/2023
- Teacher
- MONICA BORGATTI
- Credits
- 9
- Didactic period
- Primo Semestre
- SSD
- BIO/11
Training objectives
- The course is focused on the study of the structure, function, and regulation of essential cellular macromolecules such as DNA, RNA, and proteins including the relative biochemical pathways. Specifically, the course will address the replication, DNA repair, transcription, translation and the related cellular regulation mechanisms. In this way, the student will be guided through the course to understand the structure, function, and activities of biological macromolecules and the specific regulation pathways.
Prerequisites
- Basic knowledge of biochemistry and cellular biology.
No prerequisites. Course programme
- The course consists of 74 hours of teaching divided in lectures (64 hours) and guided tutorial in the classroom and lab (10 hours) based on the following topics:
STRUCTURE OF NUCLEIC ACIDS
Chemical structure of nucleic acids
Physical structure of DNA
DNA topology and DNA topoisomerase
Structure of RNA
MAINTENANCE OF GENOME
The genome structure, chromatin, and nucleosomes
DNA replication
DNA mutation and repair
Homologous recombination
Site-specific recombination and transposons
GENOME EXPRESSION
RNA transcription
RNA processing
Translation
REGULATION OF GENETIC INFORMATION
Transcription regulation in prokaryotes and eukaryotes
Translation regulation
Regulatory small RNAs
INTRODUCTION TO MOLECULAR BIOLOGY TECHNIQUES
DNA extraction
Gel electrophoresis to separate nucleic acids
Recombinant DNA: restriction endonuclease, plasmid vector DNA cloning
The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
PRACTICAL WORKS: Exercises in the classroom and laboratory are based on molecular biology techniques for the analysis of bacterial DNA with a restriction enzyme. In particular after DNA extraction from bacteria, the DNA is quantified using the spectrophotometer, cut with a restriction enzyme and analyzed on agarose gel. Both in the classroom and in the laboratory, laboratory protocols and calculations are explained and discussed to carry out the various analyzes.
The order of the topics may vary according to didactic needs. Didactic methods
- The course is structured in lectures and practical works. In particular, the course consists of 74 hours (9 CFU) of which 64 hours of lessons (8 CFU) and 10 hours (1 CFU) of guided teaching exercises in the classroom and in the laboratory.
The lessons are held with the help of slides, video, animation, documents, scientific work in pdf, and for a better understanding of the concepts, also the use of blackboard.
The exercises in the classroom and laboratory provide for the use of molecular biology techniques for the analysis of bacterial DNA cut with a restriction enzyme. Both in the classroom and in the laboratory, laboratory protocols and calculations are explained and discussed to carry out the various analyzes. Learning assessment procedures
- The written exam will be based on multiple choice tests with closed answers consisting of 17 questions by two points for a duration of 25 minutes.
The exam is passed with a score of 18/30.
For DSA students, the test procedure will be evaluated individually. Reference texts
- Recommended book for the study and exam preparation:
-Biologia Molecolare del gene, Watson JD et al., Zanichelli Editore (2015)
Other books for the course preparation and study:
-Biologia Molecolare, Amaldi F et al., Casa Editrice Ambrosiana (2018)
-Biologia Molecolare, Zlatanova J et al., Zanichelli Editore (2018)
-Biologia Molecolare, Cox MM et al., Zanichelli Editore (2013)
-Biologia Molecolare, Capranico G et al. Edises (2016)
-I principi di biochimica di Lehninger, Nelson DL et al., Zanichelli Editore (2015)
-Introduzione alla biochimica di Lehninger, Nelson DL et al., Zanichelli Editore (2015)
-Biologia Molecolare della cellula, Alberts B et al., Zanichelli Editore (2016)
-Metodologie Biochimiche, Bonaccorsi di Patti MC et al., Casa Editrice Ambrosiana (2012)
-Brown TA, Biotecnologie Molecolari, Zanichelli Editore (2017)
