OVERVIEW

The Course of Industrial and Environmental Biotechnology is held by Prof. Attilio converts during the first semester of the Master of Science in Chemical Engineering, for the total duration of 80 hours, including 4 hours of exercises in the classroom and 16 hours of lab. It consists of a first introductory part of about 20 hours, in which the basic concepts of biochemistry and microbiology are mentioned, of a second part covering the main industrial applications and a final part concerning the applications of environmental concern.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims at providing the concepts needed for a good knowledge of the biotechnological processes and plants, with specific concern to industrial and environmental applications. Particular attention is paid to the principles and technological aspects of new biotechnological applications.

LEARNING OUTCOMES (FURTHER INFO)

There is a large number of chemical engineering sectors, both in the environmental and the production fields, wherein biotechnology is playing increasingly important role, because it allows performing processes and obtaining products often more cheaply than conventional processes. To this end, however, it is necessary that the chemical engineer acquires the basics concepts needed for a good understanding of processes and biotechnological plants. This is the main goal pursued by the course of Industrial and Environmental Biotechnology, in which particular attention is paid to the principles and technological aspects of the new biotechnology applications, aimed at both the industrial production and the environmental protection.

TEACHING METHODS

Lectures (60 h)
Classroom exercises (4 h)
Laboratory (16 h)

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

1. The cell: constitution, morphology and basic molecules.

2. Proteins and enzymes: structure, conditions influencing the enzyme activity.

3. Microbial metabolism: catabolic and anabolic pathways, ATP and ADP.

4. Genetic code and protein synthesis: DNA and RNA.

5. Classification of industrial biotechnological processes.

6. Modes of operation.

7. Aeration, Agitation, Sterilization, Immobilization.

8. Industrial bioreactors.

9. Recovery of biotechnological products and chromatographic techniques.

10. Kinetics of microbial growth.

11. Material balances and productivity of a CSTR with and without recycling.

12. Enzyme kinetics and thermodynamics.

13. Industrial fermentations: Glycolytic pathways, Krebs Cycle, Respiration and oxidative phosphorylation, Pentose phosphate pathway, Homolactic and heterolactic fermentations, Alcoholic fermentation, Acetic fermentation, Butyric-butylic fermentation, Mixed-acid fermentation, Propionic fermentations, Citric fermentation.

14. Production of antibiotics.

15. Environmental biotechnology.

16. Microbial populations involved in anaerobic digestion. Biogas production.

17. Biofiltration of gaseous effluents.

18. Metabolic pathways of degradation of organic pollutants.

19. Execution of a bioprocess in laboratory.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. M.T. Madigan, J.M. Martinko, J. Parker, Brock, Biologia dei Microrganismi, Volumi 1 e 2, Casa Editrice Ambrosiana, Milan, 2003.

2. S. Aiba, A.E. Humphrey, N.F. Millis, Biochemical Engineering, 2nd edition, New York, Academic Press, 1973.

3. M. Marzona, Chimica delle Fermentazioni & Microbiologia Industriale, 2nd edition, Piccin Nuova Libraria S.p.A., Padua, 1996.

4. P. Barbieri, G. Bestetti, E. Galli, D. Zannoni (Eds.), Microbiologia Ambientale ed Elementi di Ecologia Microbica, 1st edition, Casa Editrice Ambrosiana, Milan, april 2008 (ISBN 978-88-08-18434-4).

5. S. Donadio, G. Marino (Eds.), Biotecnologie Microbiche, 1st edition, Casa Editrice Ambrosiana, september 2008 (ISBN 987-88-08-18438-2).

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

ATTILIO CONVERTI (President)

PATRIZIA PEREGO

LESSONS

LESSONS START

September 27th, 2016

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Oral exam

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Students, at the end of the course, propose to the teacher to go deeper into one of the topics among those discussed during lectures and laboratory exercises. After having agreed the topic, students submit their review on that topic to the teacher at least one week before the oral exam. The work, after correction by the teacher, will be taken as a main topic of the oral exam, becoming the subject of two questions of deepening. The work, which may written either in Italian or English, will be exposed by the student by presentation of a PowerPoint file. Aim of this part of the exam is evaluating the student’s capability of discerning the relative importance of different scientific works as well as his ability to synthesize information and to prepare a review utilizing all available sources. The oral exam will end with a further question on one of the other subjects of lessons, in order to determine the extent of learning.

Exam schedule

FURTHER INFORMATION

http://www.ingegneriachimica.unige.it/courses.htm