Study-unit BIOCHEMISTRY
| Course name | Biotechnology |
|---|---|
| Study-unit Code | 55042606 |
| Curriculum | Comune a tutti i curricula |
| CFU | 6 |
| Course Regulation | Coorte 2023 |
| Supplied | 2024/25 |
| Supplied other course regulation | |
| Learning activities | Caratterizzante |
| Area | Discipline biotecnologiche comuni |
| Sector | BIO/10 |
| Type of study-unit | Obbligatorio (Required) |
| Type of learning activities | Attività formativa monodisciplinare |
| Partition |
BIOCHEMISTRY - Canale A
| Code | 55042606 |
|---|---|
| CFU | 6 |
| Lecturer | Carla Emiliani |
| Lecturers |
|
| Hours |
|
| Learning activities | Caratterizzante |
| Area | Discipline biotecnologiche comuni |
| Sector | BIO/10 |
| Type of study-unit | Obbligatorio (Required) |
BIOCHEMISTRY - Canale B
| Code | 55042606 |
|---|---|
| CFU | 6 |
| Lecturer | Lorena Urbanelli |
| Lecturers |
|
| Hours |
|
| Learning activities | Caratterizzante |
| Area | Discipline biotecnologiche comuni |
| Sector | BIO/10 |
| Type of study-unit | Obbligatorio (Required) |
| Language of instruction | Italian |
| Contents | Structure and function of proteins: amino acids, fibrous and globular proteins. Enzymes: catalysis, kinetics, regulation. Lipids and biological membranes. Carbohydrates. Metabolism and principles of bioenergetics: glycolysis, tricarboxylic acid cycle, oxidative phosphorylation, gluconeogenesis and pentose-phosphate pathway. Lipid metabolism: beta-oxidation of fatty acids. The metabolism of amnoacids: urea cycle. |
| Reference texts | Nelson, M.M.Cox, Introduzione alla biochimica di Lehninger, Ed. Zanichelli - Nelson, M.M.Cox, Principi di Biochimica di Lehninger, Ed. Zanichelli |
| Educational objectives | At the end of the course the student must be able to: know and understand the structural and functional properties of biological macromolecules and the metabolism of nutrients (carbohydrates, lipids, proteins). The knowledge acquired will concern the composition, structural and functional organization of bio-molecules and macromolecules (proteins, lipids, carbohydrates), as well as the main metabolic pathways and the molecular mechanisms of cell metabolism. |
| Prerequisites | To attend and profitably understand the Course, it is useful that the student possesses a working knowledge of general chemistry, organic chemistry and cell biology |
| Teaching methods | The course is organized in Lectures on all subjects of the course. Lessons will be integrated with slide projections and movies. |
| Other information | Tutoring activities during the course and the practical training will be performed. For the timetable of lessons please consult the website of the course biotecnologie.unipg.it |
| Learning verification modality | It consists of a preliminary test using the LibreEOL platform with 30 multiple choice questions (4 options, only one correct). Passing the preliminary test allows the final test consisting of three main questions related to the topics covered during the course: one question will be on structural biochemistry, one on metabolism and the third will depend on the general outcome of the exam. This test will aim to verify the student's communication skills with linguistic properties and autonomous organization of the exposure of the topics covered in class; the ability to reason and connect the various topics will also be assessed. |
| Extended program | Characteristics and classification of amino acids. Acid-base properties. Modified amino acids and amino acid derivatives. The peptide bond. Peptide isoelectric point. Protein structural levels (primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary). Protein secondary structure: alpha-helices, beta sheets, beta folding. Tertiary structure and weak interactions: hydrogen bonds, electrostatic interactions, hydrophobic interactions and van der Waals forces. Protein folding and denaturation. Fibrous proteins: keratin, collagen, fibroin. Myoglobin: structure, heme group, oxygen binding curve. Hemoglobin: oxygen binding curve, T-R state transition. Bohr effect and CO2 transport. The enzymes. Kinetics and reaction coordinate of catalyzed and uncatalyzed reactions. The transition state. Enzyme-substrate interaction. Michaelis and Menten kinetics: concept of initial velocity and steady state. The linearization of the Michaelis-Menten equation. Reversible and irreversible inhibitors. Reversible inhibitors: kinetic aspects. Regulation of enzyme activity: reversible and irreversible mechanisms. Lipids: chemical-physical characteristics. Fatty acids: length, saturation, and nomenclature. Triglycerides and phosphoglycerides. The sphingolipids. Cholesterol: characteristics and role in biological membranes. Carbohydrates: aldose and ketoses monosaccharides. The epimers. The cyclization. Disaccharides: the glycosidic bond. Polysaccharides: reserve and structural functions. Metabolism: endergonic and exergonic reactions. Coupled reactions: the role and structure of ATP. Coenzyme A, pyridine coenzymes, flavin coenzymes. Glycolysis: investment phase and energy recovery phase. Lactic and alcoholic fermentation. Gluconeogenesis: the different stages with respect to glycolysis. The pentose phosphate pathway: oxidative phase and non-oxidative phase. The pyruvate dehydrogenase. The Krebs cycle. Anaplerotic reactions. The electron transport chain. The formation of the chemiosmotic gradient. ATP synthase: F0 and F1 subunits. The rotational catalysis of ATP. The beta-oxidation of fatty acids. Ketone bodies. The urea cycle: the synthesis of carbamyl phosphate. The mitochondrial phase and the cytosolic phase. |
| Obiettivi Agenda 2030 per lo sviluppo sostenibile | The course provides basic laboratory skills aimed at improving competency in the fields of health and bio-based products production |