Study-unit ELEMENTS OF MOLECULAR BIOPHYSICS
| Course name | Molecular and industrial biotechnology |
|---|---|
| Study-unit Code | 55A01506 |
| Curriculum | Comune a tutti i curricula |
| Lecturer | Daniele Fioretto |
| Lecturers |
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| Hours |
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| CFU | 6 |
| Course Regulation | Coorte 2023 |
| Supplied | 2023/24 |
| Supplied other course regulation | |
| Learning activities | Caratterizzante |
| Area | Discipline per le competenze professionali |
| Sector | FIS/03 |
| Type of study-unit | Obbligatorio (Required) |
| Type of learning activities | Attività formativa monodisciplinare |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Contents | Constituents of biological matter and their interactions. Aggregation and self-assembly. The biomacromolecules. Viscoelasticity and bioreology. Phase transitions, glass transition and processes involved in cryopreservation protocols. Elements of wave optics and quantum mechanics to understand the experimental methods of molecular biophysics, such as protein crystallography, photocorrelation spectroscopy and Brillouin spectroscopy, spectroscopic imaging techniques, STM and AFM microscopy. |
| Reference texts | Lecture notes, articles and chapters of textbooks suggested therein. |
| Educational objectives | The main objective of the course is to provide students with the basic knowledge to understand the theoretical fundamentals and some experimental methods of molecular biophysics, also in view of their application in cryopreservation. The main knowledge gained will cover: - Constituents of matter and their biological interactions. Aggregation and self-assembly. Biomacromolecules. Viscoelasticity and bioreology. Phase transitions and glass transition. - Principles and potential of some experimental methods of molecular biophysics, such as protein crystallography, spectroscopy photocorrelation and Brillouin spectroscopy, spectroscopic imaging techniques, the STM and AFM microscopy The main skills that the course aims to convey are: - To know how to use the fundamental physical laws to interpret some basic aspects of the structure, dynamics and function of biological molecules - To know how to analyze some spectroscopic experiments typical of molecular biophysics, knowing their potential and limits. |
| Prerequisites | Baisc Chemistry, Physics and Molecular Biology |
| Teaching methods | Face-to-face lessons on all topics covered by the course and laboratory experiments regarding photocorrelation spectroscopy, Brillouin, and Raman spectroscopic imaging. |
| Other information | |
| Learning verification modality | The oral exam is a discussion lasting about 45 minutes aimed at ascertaining the level of knowledge on technical content and methodology of the course (the constituents of matter and their biological interactions. Aggregation and self-assembly. Biomacromolecules. Viscoelasticity and bioreology. Phase trasitions and glass transition. Principles and potential of some experimental methods of molecular biophysics, such as protein crystallography, photocorrelation spectroscopy and Brillouin spectroscopy, spectroscopic imaging techniques, STM and AFM microscopy). The oral exam will also test the student communication skills and his autonomy in the organization and exposure of the theoretical topics. |
| Extended program | Elements of biological soft matter physics. Constituents of biological matter and their interactions. Aggregation and self-assembly. Biomacromolecules. Viscoelasticity and bioreology. Phase transitions, glass transition and processes involved in cryopreservation protocols. Elements of wave optics. Electromagnetic waves. Interference, and diffraction. Bragg's law. Experimental methods: Protein crystallography. Photocorrelation spectroscopy and Brillouin spectroscopy. Elements of quantum mechanics Solution of the Schrödinger equation in some notable cases: potential barrier, potential well, harmonic oscillator. Experimental methods: STM and AFM for biological applications. Vibrational spectroscopies and their biophysical applications. |