OVERVIEW

Molecular Biology is a module constituted by twelve lectures, for a total of 24 hours. 

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The module is aimed to give to the students a hint on the structure and the complexity of the eukaryotic genome and its functional organization compared to the prokaryotic genomes, covering evolutionary aspects. The module aims to clarify the mechanism controlling genome stability, including those responsible of replication accuracy and DNA-repair. The course covers with particular emphasis the mechanisms controlling gene expression both in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. The last part of the module covers the most important techniques for the analysis of nucleic acids and production of recombinant proteins.

TEACHING METHODS

Lectures

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

List of the 12 lectures

1.      Course overview, exams, suggested books. General introduction and basic concepts: biomolecules, biological reactions, enzymatic catalisis. The genetic code and the reading frames.

2.      Genes and genomes. Evolution of genomes. The structural organization of eukariotic geneome.

3.      DNA replication and its accuracy.

4.      DNA repair mechanisms

5.      Gene expression control in prokaryotes: promoters, repressors, attenuators and riboswitches.

6.      Gene expression control in eukaryotes: eukaryotic promoter, enhancers, insulators, LCR

7.      Gene expression control in eukaryotes: Chromatin and  epigenetic regulators.

8.      Gene expression control in eukaryotes: Post-transcriptional regulation. Alternative splicing.

9.      Nuclear transport, mRNA stability, non sense mediated decay, miRNAs and other non-coding RNA

10.   Recombinant DNA tecnologies. Libraries and strategy for their screening. Nucleic Acid hybridization and related techniques: Blotting, in situ, microarrays.

11.   Polimerase chain reaction and its use.

Sequencing and next generation sequencing.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

L'essenziale di Biogia Moleclare della Cellula (Alberts, ed Zanichelli)

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

PAOLO MALATESTA (President)

ANNA MARIA SCHITO (President)

RODOLFO QUARTO

LESSONS

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

Exam schedule