PROVIDING STUDENTS WITH CONCEPTUAL BASIS FOR: (a) UNDERSTANDING BIOLOGICAL BASIS OF BEHAVIOR (b) UNDERSTANDING BEHAVIOR AS AN EMERGENT PROPERTY OF THE SYSTEM “ORGANISM” (c) AN EVOLUTIONARY APPROACH TO THE STUDY OF BEHAVIOR. PROMPTING STUDENTS’ CRITICAL THINKING BY MEANS OF APPROPRIATE READINGS AND DISCUSSIONS. THEREFORE STUDENTS WILL BE GIVEN TOOLS TO CORRECTLY EVALUATE A SCIENTIFIC HYPOTHESIS, CHOOSE APPROPRIATE TOOLS OF INVESTIGATION AND INTERPRET RESULTS.

To provide the basics in terms of technical, legal, scientific and cultural issues on environmental assessment tools, with particular reference to the Environmental Impact Assessment, the Strategic Environmental Assessment, the assessment of impacts, the indicators for the monitoring and environmental reporting

This course will provide students with an in-depth knowledge of plant transformation techniques and plant biotechnology applications for crop improvement and the production of new molecules.
This course will also give information on emerging technologies, such as transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and will describe their importance in plant biotechnology research.
Another important aim of the course is to prepare students to conduct laboratory work and research in the sectors of plant biotechnology and food industry, as well as to critically analyze scientific information.

The course will provide the necessary knowledge, methodologies, and instruments:
a) for the analysis of problems regarding the biodeterioration of artworks (of bacterial, fungal, algal, lichen and plant origin), and on their phenomenology;
b) for techniques for the prevention and control of biological damage in the museum environment as well as at heritage and archaeological sites; for the recognition of the intangible heritage patrimony connected to the natural environment;
c) for the analysis of biological material in a heritage context to carry out investigative sampling and environment reconstruction;
It will also give some remarks on conservation issues and the enhancement of historical gardens and parks, monuments, and archaeological sites.

This course will provide students with a general overview of tropical ecology. Students will gain insight about basic ecological concepts and be able to explore a variety of ecosystems, their animals and the multiple and complex ecological interactions that can be found in these areas.
Emphasis will be given to the study of the ecosystems found in Tropical Africa and Asia, but others will be discussed as well.
This course will provide also a first-hand experience of ecological research in the tropical environment and give a foundation in a range of topics including biodiversity, community ecology, ecosystem processes and conservation.
Tropical habitats are some of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth and play critical roles in global biogeochemical cycles and climate regulation. However, they are undergoing rapid transformation through deforestation and land-use change. Alongside developing research skills this course will provide an opportunity for students to develop an understanding of how these ecosystems function and an appreciation of conservation and management of tropical habitats.
OBJECTIVES:
1) Become acquainted with the concepts and issues addressed to ecology;
2) Learn the characteristics of the major tropical ecosystems on earth;
3) Observe different ecosystems and seek examples of important biotic interactions regulating the tropical communities;
4) Understand and quantify the biodiversity of the tropics;
5) Understand the natural and human made impacts on tropical natural ecosystems;
Comprehend the importance of conservation and management of tropical natural systems.

The aim of the course is to introduce students to the “inorganic biofactors”, starting from their biochemical role to the analysis of their impact on human health.
Moreover, the course will provide student the essential knowledge for understanding of the biochemical and molecular mechanism underlying metabolic, mitochondrial and neoplastic diseases.

Cultural competences (Knowledge of :) The Course aims to provide students with basic knowledge relating to thermodynamics and the kinetics of biological processes, particularly in relation to experimental activities in the laboratory.

Methodological skills (Know How to:) acquire and use experimental data relating to the study of interactions between proteins and ligands, enzyme kinetics and kinetic of binding.

Knowledge of main microbial processes involved in production of commercial goods with special focus on food and drugs. Acquisition of competences about experimental methods and strategies used for the isolation and development of microbial starter.

The aim of the course is to provide methodologies and technologies knowledge of basic and applied advanced research in molecular biotechnologies.

The course covers the key concepts of the principal topics in Chemical Physics: thermodynamics, kinetics and quantum mechanics.
These three topics cover whether or not reactions occur, how fast they go and what is actually going on at the sub-atomic scale, and will be all applied to biological problems. Students should also attain laboratory skills in spectroscopic techniques (UV-vis, FT-IR, XPS) commonly applied to the investigation of biomolecules.

The aim of the course is to provide students with a sound knowledge of the following topics:
1) pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the main classes of drugs;
2) adverse drug reactions and drug-drug interactions;
3) principles of drug action at the cellular, subcellular and molecular levels;
4) principles of clinical and preclinical pharmacology.

The course in nutrition physiology deals with how the body extracts the nutrients from the food, how we obtain the needed energy, how we utilize nutrients and how all this is related to health and disease. the main goals of this course are:
i) increase student’s knowledges on physiology of gastro-intestinal apparatus;
ii) increase the student’s critical ability related to the scientific research in the field of nutrition,
iii) provide tools to evaluate nutritional status and need of humans, and
iv) increase the student’s ability to problem solving and public speaking.

This course provides the knowledge about the experimental models widely used in the biological research.

The course is intended to provide students with learnig competences in the field of general and applied parasitology, including the main laboratory techniques necessary for the study and diagnosis of the parasitic diseases relevant to human health.

The course includes an explanation of the theoretical principles of inheritance laws aimed at the use of genetic data for personal identification and the establishment of family relationships.
We will also explain the principles that govern the use of genetic evidence in the civil process and in the criminal trial and will also explain the main systems of biostatistic calculation that allow to assess the weight of the evidence both in the civil and criminal trial

The course "Plant Biochemistry" is part of the Plant Physiology training activities of the Master of Science in Biology for Molecular, Cellular and Patho-physiological Research. This course is focused on both specific plant metabolic pathways and bioactive plant secondary metabolites. In particular, the course provides knowledge on specific aspects of 1) regulation of primary and secondary metabolism in plant-environment/organism interactions; 2) defence mechanisms in response to environmental stress; 3) bio-signalling pathways; 3) bioactive molecules: functional roles and applications.

The course covers the key concepts of the principal topics in Chemical Physics: thermodynamics, kinetics and quantum mechanics. Students will be introduced to the experimental aspects of Chemical Physics, and they will familiarize with the theoretical and experimental aspects of spectroscopic methods commonly used in the investigation of biomaterials and biomolecules. The course aims to develop the skills necessary to autonomously apply basic physico-chemical concepts and spectroscopic techniques (UV-vis absorption and emission, FT-IR, XPS) to the study of biomolecules.

1. acquire knowledge of the fundamental role of microorganisms in ecosystems and of the factors affecting their distribution and interactions with other organisms:
- metabolic and functional biodiversity, structure and dynamics of microbial communities
- bacteria and archea taxonomic groups
2. knowledge of traditional, molecular and cultivation-independent methods for identification/typing and analysis of microbial populations
3. evaluation of the multiple potential applications of environmental microorganisms also as bioindicators
4. acquisition of critical skills by reading scientific articles.

The main formative targets are:
1) the acquisition of a basic knowledge on morphology, anatomy, physiology and evolution of the main insect groups.
2) the acquisition of both theoretical and practical knowledge on systematics and classification of the hexapoda.
3) the construction of a solid cultural background for an advanced discussion on causes and effects of the amazing evolutionary success and diversity of insects and on their importance in basic and applied studies.
4) the acquisition of the tools for the insect taxonomic identification, expecially for those orders and families present in the italian fauna.
5) to stimulate the curiosity and the ability of critically observe the nature.
6) the self-evaluation by the student of the competence whitin the animal biology, and in particular in the entomology.

The course aims at giving:
1) a general knowledge of the biosynthetic pathways of secondary metabolism;
2) information about the main natural products derived from microorganism, plants and animals and their role in natural environment;
3) knowledge on the structure/biological activity relationship of the main secondary metabolites used in pharmaceutical and healthcare industry.
4) attainment of the basic educational background necessary to understand the chemical equilibria that regulate the origins, the transport, the transformations and the effects of the environmental chemical species, either of natural or human origin.

Major goals of this course are: the training in the ecology of coastal ecosystems and the achievement of solid skills in this sector, the understanding of its relationship with other ecological disciplines (animal ecology, plant ecology) and the strengthening of the knowledge acquired previously (botany, zoology, ecology).
This course aims to analyze the wide biodiversity of coastal ecosystems, at national and European level and the major threats. Furthermore, the acquisition of a broad skills in the methodologies and techniques related to the collection, both in the laboratory and in the field, of biological and environmental data.
Finally, the course aims to develop the comprehensive training necessary for the analysis and management of coastal ecosystems addressed to their protection, conservation and enhancement, both in natural contexts or heavily modified by man.

The course aims at providing the theoretical and practical bases of the ecology of animal communities and of macroecology, and to deepen some aspects of population ecology and the ecology of animal behaviour that require advanced knowledge that can be acquired with attending the course on Animal Ecology.
- The student will learn the characteristics of animal communities, the descriptors to define the study methods to analyse their structure. The techniques to quantitatively analyse the relationships between the organisms belonging to the same community will be illustrated. Some models will be proposed to conduct community simulation analyses, the criteria for choosing the model and sampling techniques most suitable for the animal groups analysed.
- The study of animal communities and macroecology will be organized in different modules.
(i) Co-occurrence: the co-occurrence module allows to test non-random models of co-occurrence of species in a presence-absence matrix;
(ii) Macroecology: the study of the partitioning of physical space and ecological resources by species. Macro-ecological studies consist of the analysis of traits at the species level, such as body size, geographical area and average abundance, measured at large spatial scales;
(iii) Niche overlap: the study of niche overlap has a long history in community ecology. Simple theories of of limiting similarity y and ecological character displacement predict that interspecific competition will lead to a reduction in the niche overlap of competing species.
Testing this idea with empirical data leads to three questions:
1) which aspects of the niche should be measured?
2) How can the niche overlap between species pairs be quantified?
3) how much niche overlap would you expect in the absence of competition?
(iv) Overlap of body size: this module allows to test for unusual patterns in the body sizes of coexisting species, and to compare those patterns to what might be expected in a random assemblage that was not structured by interspecific interactions;
(v) Diversity of communities: the diversity of species is a central object of study both in the basic and applied ecology of communities. Two main issues will be addressed in the study of species diversity. The first is how can we quantify the diversity of an assemblage, and second, how we can compare statistically the diversity of two different assemblages;
(vi) Functional groups or guilds: groups of species within a community that share common resources are considered guilds.
This module will allow to incorporate the guild structure into community analyses.
- Through simulations in the laboratory and in the field, the student will learn the dynamics that determine the organization and structure of some selected animal communities.
- Interactive computer programs will be used for the analysis of null models in community ecology to test community models with experimental and non-experimental data. The Monte Carlo randomizations will be illustrated as an analytical method to compare real communities with "pseudo-communities" created using different algorithms.
The wide applicability of null models in applied and basic animal ecology will be illustrated.

The Nutrition Biochemistry course is aimed at providing to the students the basic knowledge to understand the molecular mechanisms by which the human organism uses macro- and micro-nutrients to produce the energy needed to maintain the order which characterizes every living being.
In particular, the objectives of the course are the comprehension of the pathways through which the different groups of nutrients (carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, vitamins and minerals) and other substances of natural and non-natural origin (ethanol, stimulant beverages, xenobiotics) are assimilated and transformed in the human body, and how they influence its metabolic status.
Finally, one of the aims is also that of illustrating the production of reactive oxygen species linked to metabolism and the protective role exerted by antioxidant compounds of dietary origin.

Main goals of the course are:
i) to provide an overview of the activities of a clinical laboratory looking at the organizational context and current business;
ii) to illustrate the various stages which are at the basis of main analytical methods, either molecular or biochemical, used in biomedical laboratories for modern diagnostic purposes;
iii) to provide the key of interpretation for the obtained results from a pathophysiological point of view. to promote a critical approach towards laboratory diagnosis.

The aims of this course are:
- to gain knowledge of the specialized cellular architecture of glia and neurons;
- to deepen the knowledge of cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in cell communication between glia and neurons.
Special emphasis will be given to nitric oxide-regulated pathways. in this course students can use state of the art equipment and learn current techniques employed in cell biology research labs.
Moreover students are allowed to critically discuss the scientific literature in the field of neurobiology.

The aims of this course are:
1) to gain knowledge of the specialized cellular architecture of glia and neurons;
2) to deepen the knowledge of cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in cell communication between glia and neurons.
Special emphasis will be given to nitric oxide-regulated pathways. in this course students can use state of the art equipment and learn current techniques employed in cell biology research labs.
Moreover students are allowed to critically discuss the scientific literature in the field of neurobiology.

The course of Microbial Genetics is organized to provide the student with: (i) adequate knowledge and understanding of advanced methodologies in bacterial genetics, appropriate methodologies and communication skills for the study of genotype-phenotype relationships in bacteria; (ii) adequate applied knowledge for the evaluation of experimental approaches, and for retrieving and critically reviewing relevant scientific literature from on-line databases (making judgments).

The aims of the course are: (i) the acquisition of advanced knowledge on the evolution and functioning of bacterial genomes and extrachromosomal genetic elements, and on the approaches that can be used to investigate these topics; (ii) the acquisition of critical knowledge for the choice and design of experimental protocols; (iii) the acquisition of knowledge and skills for retrieving relevant scientific literature from on-line databases and for critically reviewing it.

The course aim to provide a wider and deeper outlook of genetics topics not addressed in the course of genetics. special attention will be paied to the role of human genome (and epigenome) in the regulation of complex biological processes and in the individual response to endogenous and exogenous factors.

General objectives
at the end of the course, the student will be able to design epidemiological studies to address public health problems and to identify activities to prevent chronic and infectious diseases.
Specific objectives:
-to know the major mortality and morbidity indicators
-to identify the epidemiological study more appropriate to describe the burden of major diseases in the population and to assess the relation between diseases and possible -risk factors associated to them
-to interpret epidemiological data
-to discuss the importance of the health education and of the health promotion
-to list and discuss problems related to water supply, sanitation and waste management
-to argue about necessary controls/monitoring to protect the environment and the community
-to design health promotion programmes.

Cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the immune response with a particular interest for those implicated in the response against pathogens.

The main educational goals of the course are:
1) acquisition of knowledge on advanced methodologies in microbial biotechnology;
2) acquisition of appropriate methodologies and communication skills for the isolation, observation, description and engineering of industrial microorganisms;
3) acquisition of applied knowledge for drafting and executing experimental protocols;
4) acquisition of knowledge and skills for retrieving relevant scientific literature from on-line databases and for critically reviewing it.
The expected learning outcomes are the increase of the student theoretical knowledge in the field of microbial biotechnology, of its practical skills for the design and execution of laboratory experiments, and of its critical ability to search and evaluate scientific literature data.

Aim of the course is to provide students with advanced knowledge of developmental biology, focussing on vertebrate nervous system.
Cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying neural differentiation and morphogenesis will be addressed in different in vivo and in vitro models. the role of neurogenesis and plasticity throughout the lifespan of individuals will be examined.
Students will be able to:
1) describe major neural processes in vertebrates;
2) identify molecular pathways driving stem cells to neuronal or glial cell fates;
3) correlate abnormal cellular processes with specific neurodevelopmental or age-related disorders.

1. To consolidate knowledge in Human Genetics acquired during previous basic courses, with particular reference to biological mechanisms involved in genetic diseases
2. To carry on theorical notions on a practical point of view by the knoledge of diagnostic laboratory methods and strategies.

The course "Nutrients of plant origin" is part of the Plant Physiology training activities of the Master of Science in Biology for Molecular, Cellular and Patho-physiological Research. This course provides basic knowledge relating to the qualitative and quantitative composition and nutritional properties of plant-based foods and their derived processed counterparts. In particular, the course provides 1) an overview of the plants used for human nutrition and their use for the preparation of food products, with an outline of the influence of processing processes on the nutritional properties; 2) an in-depth picture of the main nutrients, aromas and other substances useful for human nutrition present in food of plant origin; 3) a summary of the anti-nutritional factors, allergens and toxic compounds present in some foods of plant origin.

The course will deal with diet-genome interactions and the application of nutritional strategies in health maintenance.
Students should become familiar with the concept that external molecules present in our foods can affect human metabolism and gene expression in different cells and tissues. The course will address the utilization of the concept of “system biology” to nutrition.

The aims of the course are:
• know the aetiology and the molecular mechanisms of the human diseases;
• know how to interpret the pathophysiological mechanisms of the human diseases.

The primary objective of the course is to enlarge and update student’s knowledge about the physiology and regulation of cellular functions mainly regarding the molecular mechanisms activated by cells in response to stressing conditions to maintain intracellular homeostasis.

Deepening the knowledge about animal viruses (origins, classification, replicative strategies, virulence, immunoevasion mechanisms) and their applications (antiviral vaccines, viral vectors for gene expression, oncolytic viruses).

The course will address the main topics of interest in psychobiology, with the aim of promoting a basic knowledge of the subject, of the main experimental paradigms and methods used in psychobiology.
The aim of the course is therefore to provide knowledge of the biological and neuropsychological fundamentals and correlates of behavior and psychological functions in humans and animals, as well as the main methods and techniques used in psychobiological research.

The goal of the Microbiomics course is to provide information about the structure, dynamics, evolution, and methods to investigate complex microbial communities as a whole. The rapid progress of omic sciences (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics) combined with high-throughput genome sequencing, global gene expression analysis tools, and powerful analytical method of metabolites has made feasible the analysis of complex and diverse microbial communities and their products as a whole.
The course is intended to provide state-of-art information on the impact of the microbiota in agriculture, food production, as well as animal and human health

At the end of the course, the students will have learned the basic concepts on the main morpho-structural differences of plant organisms according to their adaptations to different environments. They will be able to identify and explain form-function relationships in the plants. They will be able to recognize the most representative and dominant species of the main plant coenoses of the Italian landscape. In the field of applied botany, the students will have discovered the many uses, traditional and modern, that plant species can have. They will know the use of plant species as climatic, edaphic and anthropic disturbance descriptors and as bioindicators of environmental quality and phytoremediation agents of contaminated waters and soils. They will know the issues related to alien plant species (introduction, ecosystem impact, management and control methodologies). Basic concepts of forensic botany will be acquired. Through laboratory and field exercises, the students will acquire techniques and methodologies to sample and identify plant species and analyze and know how to interpret the collected flora and vegetation data.

The Course aims to provide the student with advanced knowledge and skills in molecular biology of neurodevelopment, with particular reference to the central nervous system of vertebrates.

The aim of the first module is to provide the student with general knowledge about the cellular processes that lead, in the course of early and late embryogenesis, to the formation of the central nervous system from the neural tube. Advanced concepts on morphogenetic processes ensuring the achievement of the general cytoarchitecture of telecephalon, diencephalon, mesencephalon, metencephalon, myelencephalon and spinal cord will be provided. In particular, the student will acquire knowledge and skills on neuronal migration processes (under normal and pathological conditions) that lead to the layering of the cerebral cortex, spinal cord, and cerebellum. Advanced knowledge and expertise will also be provided on the cellular processes underlying adult neurogenesis and neurodegeneration, focusing on the role of apoptosis and autophagy. The student, through an interactive teaching will acquire skills in the study of pathological conditions, such as the most common neurodegenerative disorders (Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's chorea).

The aim of the second module is to provide the student with general knowledge regarding the gene expression underlying the differentiation and morphogenesis of the nervous tissue. These molecular mechanisms will be addressed in different study models. It will be highlighted how neurogenesis and plasticity have profound functional implications in the nervous system throughout the life of the individual. The student, by means an interactive teaching, will acquire skills on new biomolecular technologies to study the development and functionality of the nervous system under physiological and pathological conditions.

The course aims to provide students with the basics concepts and techniques of corporate management.
To this aim a firm is represented as a dynamic system, in its fundamental components and relations, according to the system theory principles.
This representation allows explaining how a firm works and it is useful for managers’ decisions.
The analysis principally refers to the industrial firms.

Through a series of seminars and discussions on the different aspects of the biological profession, students will have a panoramic view of the possible working activities of the biologist in the modern society.