Plants are sessile organism. Main strategies of response to environmental stimuli. Re-modulation of developmental programs. Immobility and totipotency of plant cells. Role of plant cell wall in growth. Physiological and metabolic alteration. Cell-cell communication and long-distance communication: hormones, transcription factors, waves of reactive oxygen species and electrical signals. Perception of internal and external stimuli. Main classes of receptors and intracellular transduction pathways. Integration of different signals and signaling pathways. Secondary metabolism: biosynthesis and roles of secondary metabolites in plant/plant, plant/insects, plant/microorganism communication. Fundamentals of plant pathology: mechanism of infection and resistance. Host-pathogen interaction. Control of plant diseases by chemicals, biological fight, breeding and genetic engineering. Responses to abiotic stresses (drought, flooding, high salinity, high and low temperature, high light).

Practical laboratories
Analysis of the expression levels of amine oxidase-encoding genes in wounded and unwounded Arabidopsis seedlings: RNA extraction and quantification by RTqPCR (Reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction)
Observation under light microscopy of tissue-specific gene expression of copper amine oxidases (AtCuAO) after GUS-staining using 5-day-old PromAtCuAO-GUS-GFP Arabidopsis transgenic seedlings, fixed in 90% acetone and washed in phosphate buffer.

1) Interazioni Piante-Ambiente. Luigi Sanità di Toppi; Piccin Editore
2) Biologia delle Piante Vol. 2: Interazioni con l’ambiente e Domesticazione. Smith A. M. et al; Zanichelli Editore


The professor receives every day by appointment via e-mail: alessandra.cona@uniroma3.it

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: to the study of interactions between proteins and ligands, enzyme kinetics and kinetic of binding
1) Study of the interaction between receptors and ligands: methods at equilibrium and transient kinetics:
a) At equilibrium (thermodynamic parameters: Kd: dissociation constant at equilibrium, cooperativity, number of binding sites)
b) Rapid kinetics (kinetic parameters: k: velocity constants)
2) Study of enzymatic activity: steady state kinetics
a) In Steady State (when [ES] is almost constant during experimental observation)
b) In the presence of inhibitors
3) Time-resolved optical spectroscopy and complex kinetics

Recommended textbooks:
M. C. Bonaccorsi di Patti et al. Metodologie Biochimiche - Casa Editrice Ambrosiana
Ninfa/Ballou Metodologie di base per la Biochimica e la Biotecnologia - ed. Zanichelli
Reed et al. Metodologie di Base per le Scienze Biomolecolari- ed. Zanichelli
P. Silvestroni, Fondamenti di chimica - Casa Editrice Ambrosiana
D.M. Etter Introduction to MATLAB 7– Pearson Education, Inc.

Software to use
EXCEL (Office) or CALC (Open Office) * (for linear methods)
MATLAB (Mathworks) or OCTAVE (GNU Octave) * (for spectral analysis and non-linear methods)
GEPASI (P. Mendes et al.) * Or COPASI (Copasi dev. Group) * (for complex reactions)
(*) indicates free software
Lecture notes and calculation exercises will be provided

The professor receives every day from 8.00 to 9.00 or by appointment via e-mail: giovanni.antonini@uniroma3.it

1. BASIC TECHNOLOGIES OF GENE ANALYSIS; RESTRICTION ENZYMES; ELECTROPHORETIC ANALYSIS. 2. VECTORS; CLONING. 3. PCR; REAL TIME PCR; PCR APPLICATIONS. 4. GENETIC VARIABILITY APPLIED TO FORENSIC SCIENCE 5. GENE IDENTIFICATION; GENOMIC LIBRERIES AND cDNA LIBRERIES; YEAST TWO HYBRID SYSTEM 6. MUTAGENESIS. 7. RECOMBINANT PROTEIN PRODUCTION AND PURIFICATION. 8. FROM SANGER SEQUENCING TO NEXT-GENERATION SEQUENCING. 9. POST-GENOMICS ANALYSIS; TRANSCRIPTOMIC ANALYSIS; REPORTER GENES. 10. PROTEOMIC ANALYSIS. 11. PRODUCTION AND ANALYSIS OF TRANSGENIC PLANTS. 12. GENETIC MODIFICATION OF ANIMAL CELLS; TRANSGENIC ANIMALS CONSTRUCTION. 13. GENE TRAPPING; GENE TARGETING. 14. ANIMAL CLONING; GENE THERAPY. 15. THE CRISPR-CAS SYSTEM: EMERGING TECHNOLOGY AND APPLICATION AND APPLICATIONS.

Recommended textbooks:
1. ANALISI DEI GENI E GENOMI, REECE, EDISES.
2. DNA RICOMBINANTE, J.D.WATSON, A.A. CAUDY, R.M. MYERS E J.A. WITKOWSKI, ZANICHELLI.

Lecture slides will be provided.
The professor receives every day from 10.00 to 11.00 by appointment via e-mail: manuela.cervelli@uniroma3.it

THREE ARE THE MAIN ARGUMENTS OF THE COURSE: GENE TRANSFER TECHNIQUES; APPLICATIONS OF PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY; ANALYSIS OF RISKS AND BENEFITS OF PLANT GENETIC MANIPULATION.
IN DETAIL, DURING THE COURSE THE FOLLOWING ARGUMENTS ARE DISCUSSED:
TECHNIQUES FOR GENE TRANSFER INTO THE NUCLEAR AND CHLOROPLASTIC GENOME; TECHNIQUES FOR IN VITRO CULTURE OF PLANT CELLS; USE OF SELECTABLE GENE MARKERS AND REPORTER GENES; STRATEGIES TO REMOVE SELECTABLE GENE MARKERS FROM TRANSGENIC PLANTS; INDUCIBLE EXPRESSION OF TRANSGENES IN PLANTS; TRANSIENT EXPRESSION OF GENES IN PLANTS; GENE SILENCING IN PLANTS; ‘GENE TARGETING’ IN PLANTS; GENOME EDITINGIN IN PLANTS; PLANTS WITH IMPROVED NUTRITIONAL VALUE; PRODUCTION OF ANTIBODIES AND VACCINES IN TRANSGENIC PLANTS; BIOTECHNOLOGICAL STRATEGIES TO OBTAIN PLANTS RESISTANT TO HERBICIDES, PATHOGENS AND ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSES; PLANTS WITH INCREASED PHOTOSYNTHETIC RATE; BIOSAFETY AND BIOETHICAL ISSUES RELATED TO PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY; EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AND PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY.
LABORATORY ACTIVITY: TRANSFORMATION OF ARABIDOPSIS PLANTS; ANALYSIS OF TRANSGENIC PLANTS BY PCR, RT-PCR, WESTERN BLOT AND ENZYME ACTIVITY ASSAYS; ANALYSIS OF REPORTER GENES IN TRANSGENIC PLANTS; ANALYSIS OF FOOD MATERIAL FOR THE PRESENCE OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED MATERIAL.

-Recommended textbooks:
1. BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF PLANTS (2000) BUCHANAN B.B, GRUISSEM W., JONES R.L., AMERICAN SOCIETY OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGISTS, ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND.
2. BIOLOGIA CELLULARE E BIOTECNOLOGIE VEGETALI (2011) COZZOLINO S., DI SANSEBASTIANO G.P., FORNI C., GENRE A., LANFRANCO L., MICCHELI A., PASQUA G., TRAINOTTI L., VALLETTA A.
3. HANDBOOK OF PLANT BIOYECHNOLOGY (2004) CHRISTOU P., KLEE H., HOBOKEN, (N.J.), WILEY.
4. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY AND TRANSGENIC PLANTS (2002) OKSMAN-CALDENTEY K.-M., BARZ W.H., NEW YORK, DEKER.

-Scientific articles published in international journals (pdf files will be provided).

-Lecture notes will be provided.

The first part of the course will give an integrated view of gastro-intestinal anatomy, physiology and regulation as well as how the gut extracts and utilizes the nutrients in the diet. In addition to these classical aspects more contemporary topics are included such as the importance of the gut microflora and its interaction with the gut immune system, appetite regulation and the problems with overeating and obesity.
The course will focus on the homeostatic maintenance of energetic balance, on the composition of human body, and on the evaluation of nutritional needs in physiological States (e.g., development, pregnancy, ageing). A particular attention will be addressed to the relationship between nutrition and maintenance of human health. Finally, you learn about the pathophysiological aspects of gut function (malnutrition, overnutrition, food intolerance) and the dietetic approaches to balance the deficiencies in homeostasis.
An application of these concepts will be supplied by study the nutritional needs during physical exercise.
As part of the training there is a literature task that is performed as a group work. The groups should extract up-to-date information about an interesting nutrition theme and then present the results in the form of a brief oral presentation.

Angela Andreoli e Isabella Egidi Argomenti di fisiologia e nutrizione umana II edizione (28 febbraio 2011) Società Editrice Esculapio.

THE COURSE (6 CFU) IS DIVIDED INTO TWO MAIN PARTS. THE FIRST ONE (5.5 CFU) IS AIMED AT DESCRIBING THE HISTORICAL AND NORMATIVE FRAMEWORK. THE SECOND ONE IS PLANNED TO FOCUS THE STUDY ON A VARIETY OF BOTH IN VITRO AND IN VIVO EXPERIMENTAL MODELS, WHOSE EMPLOYMENT IS USEFUL IN EITHER BIOLOGY APPLIED TO HUMAN HEALTH OR CELLULAR/MOLECULAR BIOLOGY. STARTING POINTS FOR DISCUSSIONS WILL BE PROVIDED, IN ORDER TO ENGAGE THE LEARNERS FOR THE WRITING OF A REPORT THAT WILL BE GOAL OF EXAMINATION. LABORATORY PRACTICES (0.5 CFU) WILL BE FIXED TOGETHER WITH THE STUDENTS WITH THE AIM OF ACQUIRING NEW TECHNIQUES ON SOME EXPERIMENTAL MODELS WIDELY USED IN BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH

TEXTBOOKS AND OTHER EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL FOR HOMEWORKS WILL BE SUGGESTED TO LEARNERS DURING THE COURSE.

Nutrients and bioactive dietary molecules in the regulation of gene expression; scientific advancements following the application of –omics technologies to nutritional sciences (nutrigenomics); effects of genes and gene variants on the individual body response to diet (nutrigenetics); the nutritional phenotype. Notions about Bayesian probabilistic Statistics.

Course material (slides, scientific articles) will be provided by the teacher

Lessons
• Generalities about microbial metabolism and physiology
• Industrial and traditional fermentations, starter coltures;
• Conservation and safety of fermented foods;
• Microbial technologies for drugs development and production (antibiotics);
• Microbial technologies for food industry (fermented dairy products and alcoholic beverages; vinegar);
• Microbial production of enzymes and recombinant proteins for drug and food industry (caomparative examples);
• Genetic improvement of industrial microrganism.

Laboratory practices and other activities
-cloning, overexpression and purification of recombinant proteins in Escherichia coli;
-development and microbiological analysis of sourdough;
-guided tours to a beer farm

Specific learning material will be provided by the teacher (lectures slides, scientific articles). Below some suggested books.

Cultural skills (Knowledge of:) The course offers the conceptual bases for (A) understanding the biological bases of behaviour (B) understanding behaviour as an emergent property of the organism (C) an evolutionary approach to the study of behaviour .
Methodological skills (Knowing how to perform:) acquire the critical thinking through readings and discussions, in order to correctly evaluate a research hypothesis, choose research tools and interpret results.

SYLLABUS
Ethology: historical outline. Classic and operant conditioning. The three Nobel awards, founders of modern ethology: K. Lorenz, K. Von Frisch, and N. Tinbergen. Sociobiology and behavioral ecology. The evolutionary approach to the study of behaviour. Levels of analysis in the study of behaviour: questions on “how” and “why”. The study of causation and ontogenesis (proximate causes), survival value and evolution (ultimate causes).
(1) Behavioural control. Exogenous factors and endogenous factors. Sensory filtering. Stimuli and signals. Fixed action patterns, evocative stimuli, innate triggering mechanism. Biorhythms. The biological clock. The hormonal state. The behavioural decision: the motivation. Spatial orientation. Compasses. The olfactory map.
(2) Ontogenesis of behaviour. Role of genes and the environment. Embryology and behaviour: pre-natal ontogeny. Embryonic development of motility, sensitivity and sensory-motor sequences. Neurogenesis. Embryo learning. Postnatal ontogenesis. Behavioural endocrinology. The interactive theory of development, the organisational-activational hypothesis: development organisation, sexualisation of the brain, neural activation. Pre and post-natal learning. Imprinting and hormonal control of imprinting. Non-associative, associative, and complex learning. Behavioural control: nervous system and hormonal system.
(3) The adaptive value of behaviour. The comparative approach to the study of behaviour. Signal evolution and communication. Communication: definitions, honest communication and deception. Ritualisation. Natural and artificial selection. Hybridisation between lines. Behavioural characters and strategies. Optimal strategies and evolutionarily stable strategies. Predatory and anti-predatory strategies: the arms race. Mimicry. Reproductive and social behaviour. Optimal strategies, fitness and reproductive success. Sexuality and innovation. Sexual selection: partner choice and competition. Sexual selection and sexual dimorphism. Conflict strategies between sexes. Differential reproductive success of females and males. Parental investment. Mating systems and social life. Sociality and group life: costs and benefits of socializing; the kin selection; altruism and evolution. Game theory.

RECOMMENDED TEXTBOOKS:
- Alcock, J. 2007. Etologia, un approccio evolutivo. Zanichelli
- Manning, A. e Stamp Dawkins, M. 2003. Il comportamento animale. Bollati Boringhieri.
- Krebs J.R. e Davies N.B. 2002. Ecologia e comportamento animale. Bollati Boringhieri
TEXTBOOKS FOR FURTHER READINGS:
- Bolhuis, J.J. & Giraldeau, l. 2005. The behavior of animals: mechanisms, function and evolution.
- Campan, R. & Scapini, F. 2004. Etologia. Zanichelli
- Nelson, N.J. 2002. An introduction to behavioral endocrinology. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland
- Andersson, M 1994. Sexual selection. Princeton University Press
- Mainardi, D. 1992. Dizionario di etologia. Einaudi
- Martin, P. & Bateson, P. 2003. La misurazione del comportamento. Una guida introduttiva. Liguori editore

All textbooks can be found in the library

Students are provided with a document that lists for each lesson topic which textbook and which chapters are most relevant for the study, and for each topic it lists recent scientific papers for further study. Students are also provided with PDFs of lessons and of scientific papers suggested.

The professor receives every day from 9.00 to 10.00 by appointment via email: monica.carosi@uniroma3.it

LAWS OF THERMODYNAMICS: ENERGY, WORK AND HEAT. STATE FUNCTIONS: INTERNAL ENERGY, ENTHALPY, ENTROPY, FREE ENERGY. ELEMENTS OF SOLUTIONS THERMODYNAMICS: CHEMICAL POTENTIAL, IDEAL SOLUTIONS, REAL SOLUTIONS, ELECTROLITIC SOLUTIONS; EQUILIBRIUM CONSTANT. INTRODUCTION TO THE RADIATION MATTER INTERACTION (CLASSICAL MODEL). REM. SPECTROSCOPIES: VIBRATIONAL SPECTROSCOPY (FT-IR), ELECTRONIC SPECTROSCOPIES. UV-VIS ABSORPTION AND EMISSION. X-RAYS PHOTOEMISSION SPECTROSCOPY (XPS). INSTRUMENTATION. EXAMPLES OF APPLICATIONS TO THE INVESTIGATION OF THE ELECTRONIC AND CHEMICAL STRUCTURE OF BIOMOLECULES.

PETER ATKINS, JULIO DE PAULA: Physical Chemistry for the Life Sciences. ISBN: 9780199564286

INTRODUCTION: NATURE OF DRUGS, DRUG NOMENCLATURE, DRUG CLASSIFICATION. CLINICAL AND PRECLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY.
PRINCIPLES OF GENERAL PHARMACOLOGY- PHARMACOKINETICS: THE DYNAMICS OF DRUG ABSORPTION, DISTRIBUTION, BIOTRANSFORMATION AND ELIMINATION. MAIN PHARMACOKINETIC PARAMETERS. PHARMACODYNAMICS: MECHANISMS OF DRUG ACTION; DRUG RECEPTORS; DRUG-RECEPTOR INTERACTIONS; SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION MECHANISMS; AGONISTS AND ANTAGONISTS. NEUROTRANSMITTERS.
SYSTEMATIC PHARMACOLOGY- MECHANISM OF ACTION, THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS AND SIDE EFFECTS OF THE MAIN CLASSES OF DRUGS: AUTONOMIC DRUGS; DRUGS THAT ACT IN THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM; CARDIOVASCULAR DRUGS; ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DRUGS; BRONCHODILATORS AND OTHER DRUGS USED IN ASTHMA; DRUGS USED IN GASTROINTESTINAL DISORDERS; CANCER CHEMOTHERAPY; ANTIMICROBIC DRUGS.

Clark, Finkel, Rey, Whalen. “Pharmacology", Lippincott's Illustrated Reviews, 5th Edition

Power-point files of the lessons will be provided
To get an appointment with the Professor, email to: viviana.trezza@uniroma3.it

THE COURSE (6 CFU) IS DIVIDED INTO TWO MAIN PARTS. THE FIRST ONE (5.5 CFU) IS AIMED AT DESCRIBING THE HISTORICAL AND NORMATIVE FRAMEWORK. THE SECOND ONE IS PLANNED TO FOCUS THE STUDY ON A VARIETY OF BOTH IN VITRO AND IN VIVO EXPERIMENTAL MODELS, WHOSE EMPLOYMENT IS USEFUL IN EITHER BIOLOGY APPLIED TO HUMAN HEALTH OR CELLULAR/MOLECULAR BIOLOGY. STARTING POINTS FOR DISCUSSIONS WILL BE PROVIDED, IN ORDER TO ENGAGE THE LEARNERS FOR THE WRITING OF A REPORT THAT WILL BE GOAL OF EXAMINATION. LABORATORY PRACTICES (0.5 CFU) WILL BE FIXED TOGETHER WITH THE STUDENTS WITH THE AIM OF ACQUIRING NEW TECHNIQUES ON SOME EXPERIMENTAL MODELS WIDELY USED IN BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH

TEXTBOOKS AND OTHER EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL FOR HOMEWORKS WILL BE SUGGESTED TO LEARNERS DURING THE COURSE.

1. BASIC TECHNOLOGIES OF GENE ANALYSIS; RESTRICTION ENZYMES; ELECTROPHORETIC ANALYSIS. 2. VECTORS; CLONING. 3. PCR; REAL TIME PCR; PCR APPLICATIONS. 4. GENETIC VARIABILITY APPLIED TO FORENSIC SCIENCE 5. GENE IDENTIFICATION; GENOMIC LIBRERIES AND cDNA LIBRERIES; YEAST TWO HYBRID SYSTEM 6. MUTAGENESIS. 7. RECOMBINANT PROTEIN PRODUCTION AND PURIFICATION. 8. FROM SANGER SEQUENCING TO NEXT-GENERATION SEQUENCING. 9. POST-GENOMICS ANALYSIS; TRANSCRIPTOMIC ANALYSIS; REPORTER GENES. 10. PROTEOMIC ANALYSIS. 11. PRODUCTION AND ANALYSIS OF TRANSGENIC PLANTS. 12. GENETIC MODIFICATION OF ANIMAL CELLS; TRANSGENIC ANIMALS CONSTRUCTION. 13. GENE TRAPPING; GENE TARGETING. 14. ANIMAL CLONING; GENE THERAPY. 15. THE CRISPR-CAS SYSTEM: EMERGING TECHNOLOGY AND APPLICATION AND APPLICATIONS.

Recommended textbooks:
1. ANALISI DEI GENI E GENOMI, REECE, EDISES.
2. DNA RICOMBINANTE, J.D.WATSON, A.A. CAUDY, R.M. MYERS E J.A. WITKOWSKI, ZANICHELLI.

Lecture slides will be provided.
The professor receives every day from 10.00 to 11.00 by appointment via e-mail: manuela.cervelli@uniroma3.it

LANTS AS A RESOURCE FOR MAN. HISTORICAL ASPECTS, SOURCES OF DOCUMENTATION AND TRADITIONS OF THE MEDITERRANEAN AREA. NOTES ON OTHER CULTURES WHERE THE ETHNOBOTANIC TRADITION LIVES.
METHODS OF ETHNOBOTANIC RESEARCH (FIELD INTERVIEWS AND PROCESSING OF COLLECTED DATA). SECTORS OF USE OF SPONTANEOUS PLANTS: MEDICINAL AND VETERINARY USES, FOOD, DOMESTIC-ARTISANAL, COSMETICS AND SUPPORT TO ARTISTIC PRACTICES (DYEING PLANTS). RITUAL AND MAGICAL USES IN POPULAR TRADITIONS.
ETHNOBOTANICS FOR THE FUTURE: ITS ROLE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION (URBAN GARDENS AND NATURE CONSERVATION) AND FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT. RESOURCES FOR TOURISM. NEW PERSPECTIVES FOR AGRICULTURAL-FOREST DEVELOPMENT AND IN THE FOOD, HERBAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL FIELD.

THEORETICAL ETHNOZOOLOGY: STUDY OF THE ZOOLOGICAL CULTURE OF ETHNIC GROUPS AND THE CONTRIBUTION OF ETHNOZOOLOGY TO ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCES. ETHNOTAXONOMY: RELATIONS BETWEEN SYSTEMATIC BIOLOGY AND TRADITIONAL CLASSIFICATIONS OF ANIMALS. LANGUAGE SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES, HOMONYMS AND SYNONYMS, ONOMATOPEIC TERMS AND ECO-ETHOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE IN TRADITIONAL CULTURES; LANGUAGE AND CULTURAL EXCHANGES BETWEEN DIFFERENT POPULATIONS. DESCRIPTION AND HISTORY OF THE TECHNIQUES AND SUBSISTENCE STRATEGIES OF HUNTER-COLLECTING PEOPLES AND RURAL POPULATIONS (FARMERS AND / OR SHEPHERDS). THE CONTRIBUTION OF ETHNOZOOLOGY TO FAUNISTIC AND BIOGEOGRAPHICAL RESEARCH (DISCOVERY OF NEW SPECIES).
APPLIED ETHNOZOOLOGY; ROLE OF ETHNOZOOLOGY IN THE CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT, IN PARTICULAR OF TROPICAL ECOSYSTEMS. STUDY OF THE EXPLOITATION OF ANIMAL RESOURCES IN DIFFERENT ETHNIC GROUPS, EVALUATION OF THE IMPACT OF TRADITIONAL VENATORY TECHNIQUES ON ECOSYSTEMS, AND EVALUATION OF INCIDENCE ON SPECIES THREATENED WITH EXTINCTION. CONSERVATION STRATEGIES OF TROPICAL ECOSYSTEMS THROUGH SELF-MANAGEMENT AND COLLABORATIVE MANAGEMENT OF ETHNIC GROUPS. RELATION WITH THE TRADE IN WILD ANIMALS.

CANEVA G., PIERONI A., GUARRERA P.M. (ED.) 2013 ETNOBOTANICA CONSERVAZIONE DI UN PATRIMONIO CULTURALE IMMATERIALE COME RISORSA PER UNO SVILUPPO SOSTENIBILE. EDIPUGLIA, BARI.

PRESENTAZIONI POWER POINT CONSULTABILI PRESSO IL MUSEO DI ZOOLOGIA + DISPENSE DISTRIBUITE ELETTRONICAMENTE COME DOCUMENTI PDF ED EXCEL

The aim of the course is to provide basic and advanced knowledge from a technical, legal, scientific and cultural point of view on environmental assessment tools, with particular reference to environmental impact assessment, strategic environmental assessment, and environmental incidence analysis. The program includes an extensive review of environmental reporting tools and indicators at regional, national and European levels. The knowledge acquired by the students, integrated with the contents of other classes offered by the degree course (cartographic techniques and GIS, statistics, applied ecology, ecosystem management, biodiversity) will train professionals and technicians of environmental monitoring and assessment.

Slides and scientific articles (class-disseminated).
MUNAFÒ M. 2010. RAPPRESENTARE IL TERRITORIO E L’AMBIENTE. BONANNO, ROMA-ACIREALE (textbook).

Goal. Building a solid knowledge and a wide experience on the many issues and viewpoints of environmental education.
Topics. The course will start from presenting the goals of environmental education and naturalistic dissemination; then it will explore the main methods and strategies to follow for a proper and effective scientific communication, and will describe a wide range of specific techniques and tools of environmental education: books (textbooks, guides, popular monographs), TV documentaries, websites, Agenda21 forum, science and nature museums, eco-museums, visitor centers, environmental interpretation centers, guided tours, animation techniques, nature photography and painting, collections. The course will also present a historical perspective of environmental and sustainability education as well as the evolution of the techniques and tools.

Dossier and learning materials will be provided during the course. Some reference handbooks and specific textbooks will be suggested. The teacher will be available to all the students who will not attend the classes to provide them all the materials, both in face-to-face meetings and via email.
The teacher is available by appointment or via email.

GENERAL CONCEPTS AND LIFE CYCLES OF THE MAIN HUMAN PARASITES
TERMINOLOGY AND DEFINITIONS IN GENERAL PARASITOLOGY
CLASSIFICATION OF HUMAN PARASITES (PROTOZOA, PLATELMINTHS, NEMATODES AND ARTHROPODS)
MORPHOLOGICAL IDENTIFICATION OF PARASITES
BIOCHEMICAL AND MOLECULAR TECHNIQUES APPLIED TO PARASITE IDENTIFICATION AND SYSTEMATICS

TRANSMISSION PATTERNS THROUGH VECTORS: TRYPANOSOMATIDS, PLASMODIA, BABESIA,
FILARIAL WORMS, SCHISTOSOMES
TRANSMISSION PATTERNS THROUGH INGESTION: GIARDIA, AMOEBA, TOXOPLASMA, CRYPTOSPORIDIUM,
OPISTHORCHIS, TAPEWORMS, TRICHINELLA, TOXOCARA, PINWORMS
OTHER TRANSMISSION PATTERS: STRONGYLOIDES

IMMUNITY TO PARASITES AND PARASITE’S EVASION

PARASITIC DISEASES
TERMINOLOGY AND DEFINITIONS IN EPIDEMIOLOGY, PATHOGENESIS, CLINICAL FEATURES, DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT
MAJOR PARASITIC DISEASES ENDEMIC IN ITALY: LEISHMANIASIS, GIARDIASIS, TOXOPLASMOSIS,
CYSTICERCOSIS, ECHINOCOCCOSIS/HYDATIDOSIS, TRICHINELLOSIS, TOXOCARIASIS, DIROFILARIASIS, OXYURIASIS, PEDICULOSIS
MAJOR PARASITIC DISEASES IMPORTED INTO ITALY: AFRICAN TRYPANOSOMIASIS (SLEEPING SICKNESS),
AMERICAN TRYPANOSOMIASIS (CHAGAS DISEASE), AMEBIASIS, MALARIA, SCHISTOSOMIASIS

DE CARNERI – PARASSITOLOGIA MEDICA E DIAGNOSTICA PARASSITOLOGICA – CASA EDITRICE AMBROSIANA, 2013
GABRIELLA CANCRINI – PARASSITOLOGIA MEDICA ILLUSTRATA – LOMBARDO EDITORE, 2012

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: to the study of interactions between proteins and ligands, enzyme kinetics and kinetic of binding
Program:
1) Study of the interaction between receptors and ligands: methods at equilibrium and transient kinetics:
a) At equilibrium (thermodynamic parameters: Kd: dissociation constant at equilibrium, cooperativity, number of binding sites)
b) Rapid kinetics (kinetic parameters: k: velocity constants)
2) Study of enzymatic activity: steady state kinetics
a) In Steady State (when [ES] is almost constant during experimental observation)
b) In the presence of inhibitors
3) Time-resolved optical spectroscopy and complex kinetics

Recommended textbooks:
M. C. Bonaccorsi di Patti et al. Metodologie Biochimiche - Casa Editrice Ambrosiana
Ninfa/Ballou Metodologie di base per la Biochimica e la Biotecnologia - ed. Zanichelli
Reed et al. Metodologie di Base per le Scienze Biomolecolari- ed. Zanichelli
P. Silvestroni, Fondamenti di chimica - Casa Editrice Ambrosiana
D.M. Etter Introduction to MATLAB 7– Pearson Education, Inc.

Software to use
EXCEL (Office) or CALC (Open Office) * (for linear methods)
MATLAB (Mathworks) or OCTAVE (GNU Octave) * (for spectral analysis and non-linear methods)
GEPASI (P. Mendes et al.) * Or COPASI (Copasi dev. Group) * (for complex reactions)
(*) indicates free software
Lecture notes and calculation exercises will be provided

The professor receives every day from 8.00 to 9.00 or with appointment by e-mail: giovanni.antonini@uniroma3.it

Plants are sessile organism. Main strategies of response to environmental stimuli. Re-modulation of developmental programs. Immobility and totipotency of plant cells. Role of plant cell wall in growth. Physiological and metabolic alteration. Cell-cell communication and long-distance communication: hormones, transcription factors, waves of reactive oxygen species and electrical signals. Perception of internal and external stimuli. Main classes of receptors and intracellular transduction pathways. Integration of different signals and signaling pathways. Secondary metabolism: biosynthesis and roles of secondary metabolites in plant/plant, plant/insects, plant/microorganism communication. Fundamentals of plant pathology: mechanism of infection and resistance. Host-pathogen interaction. Control of plant diseases by chemicals, biological fight, breeding and genetic engineering. Responses to abiotic stresses (drought, flooding, high salinity, high and low temperature, high light).

Practical laboratories
Analysis of the expression levels of amine oxidase-encoding genes in wounded and unwounded Arabidopsis seedlings: RNA extraction and quantification by RTqPCR (Reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction)
Observation under light microscopy of tissue-specific gene expression of copper amine oxidases (AtCuAO) after GUS-staining using 5-day-old PromAtCuAO-GUS-GFP Arabidopsis transgenic seedlings, fixed in 90% acetone and washed in phosphate buffer.

1) Interazioni Piante-Ambiente. Luigi Sanità di Toppi; Piccin Editore
2) Biologia delle Piante Vol. 2: Interazioni con l’ambiente e Domesticazione. Smith A. M. et al; Zanichelli Editore


The professor receives every day by appointment via e-mail: alessandra.cona@uniroma3.it

THREE ARE THE MAIN ARGUMENTS OF THE COURSE: GENE TRANSFER TECHNIQUES; APPLICATIONS OF PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY; ANALYSIS OF RISKS AND BENEFITS OF PLANT GENETIC MANIPULATION.
IN DETAIL, DURING THE COURSE THE FOLLOWING ARGUMENTS ARE DISCUSSED:
TECHNIQUES FOR GENE TRANSFER INTO THE NUCLEAR AND CHLOROPLASTIC GENOME; TECHNIQUES FOR IN VITRO CULTURE OF PLANT CELLS; USE OF SELECTABLE GENE MARKERS AND REPORTER GENES; STRATEGIES TO REMOVE SELECTABLE GENE MARKERS FROM TRANSGENIC PLANTS; INDUCIBLE EXPRESSION OF TRANSGENES IN PLANTS; TRANSIENT EXPRESSION OF GENES IN PLANTS; GENE SILENCING IN PLANTS; ‘GENE TARGETING’ IN PLANTS; GENOME EDITINGIN IN PLANTS; PLANTS WITH IMPROVED NUTRITIONAL VALUE; PRODUCTION OF ANTIBODIES AND VACCINES IN TRANSGENIC PLANTS; BIOTECHNOLOGICAL STRATEGIES TO OBTAIN PLANTS RESISTANT TO HERBICIDES, PATHOGENS AND ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSES; PLANTS WITH INCREASED PHOTOSYNTHETIC RATE; BIOSAFETY AND BIOETHICAL ISSUES RELATED TO PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY; EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES AND PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY.
LABORATORY ACTIVITY: TRANSFORMATION OF ARABIDOPSIS PLANTS; ANALYSIS OF TRANSGENIC PLANTS BY PCR, RT-PCR, WESTERN BLOT AND ENZYME ACTIVITY ASSAYS; ANALYSIS OF REPORTER GENES IN TRANSGENIC PLANTS; ANALYSIS OF FOOD MATERIAL FOR THE PRESENCE OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED MATERIAL.

-Recommended textbooks:
1. BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF PLANTS (2000) BUCHANAN B.B, GRUISSEM W., JONES R.L., AMERICAN SOCIETY OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGISTS, ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND.
2. BIOLOGIA CELLULARE E BIOTECNOLOGIE VEGETALI (2011) COZZOLINO S., DI SANSEBASTIANO G.P., FORNI C., GENRE A., LANFRANCO L., MICCHELI A., PASQUA G., TRAINOTTI L., VALLETTA A.
3. HANDBOOK OF PLANT BIOYECHNOLOGY (2004) CHRISTOU P., KLEE H., HOBOKEN, (N.J.), WILEY.
4. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY AND TRANSGENIC PLANTS (2002) OKSMAN-CALDENTEY K.-M., BARZ W.H., NEW YORK, DEKER.

-Scientific articles published in international journals (pdf files will be provided).

-Lecture notes will be provided.

The first part of the course will give an integrated view of gastro-intestinal anatomy, physiology and regulation as well as how the gut extracts and utilizes the nutrients in the diet. In addition to these classical aspects more contemporary topics are included such as the importance of the gut microflora and its interaction with the gut immune system, appetite regulation and the problems with overeating and obesity.
The course will focus on the homeostatic maintenance of energetic balance, on the composition of human body, and on the evaluation of nutritional needs in physiological States (e.g., development, pregnancy, ageing). A particular attention will be addressed to the relationship between nutrition and maintenance of human health. Finally, you learn about the pathophysiological aspects of gut function (malnutrition, overnutrition, food intolerance) and the dietetic approaches to balance the deficiencies in homeostasis.
An application of these concepts will be supplied by study the nutritional needs during physical exercise.
As part of the training there is a literature task that is performed as a group work. The groups should extract up-to-date information about an interesting nutrition theme and then present the results in the form of a brief oral presentation.

Angela Andreoli e Isabella Egidi Argomenti di fisiologia e nutrizione umana II edizione (28 febbraio 2011) Società Editrice Esculapio.

Nutrients and bioactive dietary molecules in the regulation of gene expression; scientific advancements following the application of –omics technologies to nutritional sciences (nutrigenomics); effects of genes and gene variants on the individual body response to diet (nutrigenetics); the nutritional phenotype. Notions about Bayesian probabilistic Statistics.

Course material (slides, scientific articles) will be provided by the teacher

HEME-PROTEINS. HEME METABOLISM AND RELATED DISEASES. HEME BIOSYNTHESIS AND RELATED DISEASES. IRON METABOLISM AND RELATED DISEASES. INORGANIC BIOFACTORS: OXYGEN, CARBON MONOXIDE, NITROGEN MONOXIDE, HYDROGEN SULFIDE. BIOCHEMICAL AND CELLULAR ROLES OF THE INORGANIC BIOFACTORS. ROLE IOF THE INORGANIC BIOFACTORS IN HUMANN DISEASES ONSET. THE THERAPEUTIC USE OF THE INORGANIC BIOFACTORS. REACTIVE OXYGEN AND NITROGEN SPECIES. MITOCHONDRIAL DISEASES. THE ENERGETIC MATTER OF CANCER CELLS. THE METABOLIC REQUIREMENTS OF CANCER CELLS: THE WARBURG EFFECT.

SCIENTIFIC PAPERS SUPPLIED BY THE TEACHER.
Support texts:
Siliprandi & Tettamanti "Biochimica Medica - strutturale, metabolica e funzionale" Ed. Piccin
- Chiurchiù & Maccarrone "I radicali liberi e la loro rilevanza in biomedicina: dai meccanismi molecolari alle prospettive terapeutiche" Ed Piccin

RECEPTION TIME: Monday 10 am

- Metabolism of the main alcoholic and psychoactive drinks of nutritional value
- Signal transduction and regulation of metabolic pathways
- Metabolic regulation of the nutrition-fasting cycle
- Reactive oxygen species
- Endogenous and exogenous antioxidants
- Xenobiotics

- Leuzzi, Bellocco, Barreca “Biochimica della Nutrizione” Ed. Zanichelli

- Cozzani, Dainese "Biochimica degli alimenti e della nutrizione" Ed. Piccin.

- General Biochemistry textbooks adopted for the Biochemistry Course of the bachelor degree in Biological Sciences.

Cultural knowledge: 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 glial cell biology.
Methodological skills: to know how to design an experiment using glial cell cultures, to acquire and analyze the data obtained from the laboratory activity.
Topics:
The course will deepen the following topics: morphology and ultrastructure of glial cells; Properties and functions of astrocytes; homeostasis of pH, K and volume; The neuro-glial-vascular unit, mechanism of cerebral blood flow regulation; gliotransmitters release and the tripartite synapse; The role of nitric oxide as neurotransmitter and neurotoxic factor; Microglia: activation, motility and immune surveillance; Reactive astrocytosis, neurodegenerative and infectious diseases. Cellular response to oxidative stress. The laboratory activity will be mainly devoted to the study of nitric oxide as cellular messenger in glial cell cultures. Experimental procedures include but are not limited to the following: Preparation of whole, cytoplasmic and nuclear extracts, Western Blot; Analysis of gene expression and transcription factor activation (RNA extraction, RT-PCR, EMSA, TransAM-ELISA); Modulation of gene expression (Oligo-Decoy); Cell Transfection; Analysis of nitric oxide (NO) pathway and determination of NO in living cells and in cell extracts.

BRUCE R. RANSOM, HELMUT KETTENMANN. “NEUROGLIA”
– THIRD EDITION – 2012 OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS

Slides in PDF format of all the lectures will be provided by the teacher.

The teacher receives the students at least once a week by appointment via e-mail: tiziana.persichini@uniroma3.it

GENOME (ORGANIZATION, STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION, THE EXOME AND THE GENETIC REGULATION OF GENE TRANSCRIPTION). EPIGENOME (METHYLATION, HISTONE CODE, CHROMATIN 3D ARCHITECTURE, NON-CODING RNA). GENETIC MECHANISMS OF SEX DETERMINATION (HOW DOES SEX IS GENETICALLY DETERMINED, INACTIVATION OF X CHROMOSOME, SEX-DEPENDENT PHONOTYPIC EFFECTS). CELL CYCLE REGULATION. GENETIC OF AGING (GENETIC THEORIES OF AGING, GERONTOGENES AND GENES INVOLVED IN LONGEVITY, AGING IN ANIMAL MODELS, MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR AGING). CANCER GENETICS (ONCOGENES, ONCO-SUPPRESSOR GENES, CHROMOSOMAL REARRANGEMENTS INVOLVED IN CANCER, THE CANCER STEM CELLS THEORY). INDIVIDUAL GENETIC RESPONSE AND PHARMACOGENETICS.

- SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES AND DISPENSES PROVIDED BY THE PROFESSOR
- TOM STRACHAN E ANDREW READ, GENETICA MOLECOLARE UMANA, ZANICHELLI
- MICHEAL R. CUMMINGS, EREDITA’ PRINCIPI E PROBLEMATICHE DELLA GENETICA UMANA, EDISES
- DANIEL L. HARTL ED ELIZABETH W. JONES, GENETICA ANALISI DI GENI E GENOMI, EDISES
- M.A. JOBLING, M.E. HURLES E C. TYLER-SMITH, HUMAN EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS, GARLAND SCIENCE


The professor receives every Tuesday from 16.00 to 17.00 by appointment via email: francesco.berardinelli@uniroma3.it

Properties and Overview of Immune Responses: Cells and Tissues of the Immune System
Leukocyte Circulation and Migration into Tissues
Innate Immunity
Antigens and Antigen presentation
Immune Receptors and Signal Transduction
Lymphocyte T Development and Activation
Differentiation and Functions of CD4+ and CD8 +Effector T Cells
B Cell Activation and Antibody Production
Humoral Immunity
Immunologic Tolerance and Autoimmunity
Immunity to Microbes and Vaccines
Immunity to Tumors
Immunodeficiency and Immunosenescence
Pubmed research

- Abul K. Abbas, Andrew H. Lichtman, Shiv Pillai
IMMUNOLOGIA CELLULARE E MOLECOLARE
(9th edition, Edizioni Edra)

- Peter Parham
IL SISTEMA IMMUNITARIO
(2nd editio, Edizioni EdiSES)

1. Evolution and systematic of microorganisms
Origin of bacteria; molecular phylogenesis; 16S rRNA gene and evolution; basis of microbial systematic
2. Metabolic diversity of microbes
Chemolitotrophy; fermentation; anaerobiosis; phototrophy
3. Functional diversity of microbes
Phototrophic and chemotrophic bacteria; bacteria in sulfur and nitrogen cycles
4. The principal phylogenesic groups of Bacteria
Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Ipertermofili
5. The principal phylogenetic groups of Archea
Phyla and evolution
6. Methods in microbial ecology
Culture-based methods; functional analysis
Cultivation-independent techniques: microscope; genetic analysis; genome and metagenomics
7. Microbial ecosystems
Principles of ecology
Microbe environment: microbial interactions (Quorum sensing; Biofilm)
Terrestrial environment: soil
Aquatic environment: lakes, oceans
Extreme environments (deep sea; hydrothermal springs)
8. Microbial role in nutrient cycles
Carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, others
9. Symbiosis between microorganisms and between microorganisms and different organisms
Plants; rhizosphere; root nodules
Mammals; microbiome: bowel and rumen
10. Microorganisms in anthropized environments
Bioremediation of contaminated sites; water treatment; biocorrosion; mineral recovery from mines

Text book: Madigan et al., Brock Biology of microorganisms 14th edition

The main objective of the course is to provide basic knowledge on the main nutrients present in different food plants, such as carbohydrates, lipids and proteins. Specific attention is paid to the biochemical plasticity of secondary metabolism that leads to the formation of both secondary metabolites and bioactive compounds with beneficial effects on human health and anti-nutritional or toxic factors.

Origin of agriculture and plant domestication. Characteristics of the main crops: Poaceae, Fabaceae, Rosaceae, Solanaceae, Brassicaceae. Nutritional values of the different plant organs and nutrients bioavailability. Primary and secondary metabolism. Nutrients from plants: proteins, lipids and oils, carbohydrates, fibers, minerals, vitamins and antioxidants. Nutritional values of secondary metabolism and bioactive compounds: terpenes, phenols, alkaloids, cyanogenic glucosides, glucosinolates, non-protein amino acids. Effects of the environmental conditions on primary and secondary metabolism: food quality and production of aromas, flavors and toxins. Plant bioactive compounds as dietary supplements. Effects of storage conditions and pre- and post-harvest diseases on nutritional quality of plant foods. Allergy and intolerances caused by plant substances present in crop species. Genetic improvement and biotechnology approaches to develop crop plants with high nutritive contents and resistant to environmental stress.

1. Piante alimentari. Biologia, composizione chimica, utilizzazione. Rinallo C.; Piccin.
2. Biologia delle Piante. Vol 2: Interazioni con l’ambiente e Domesticazione. Smith A. M. et al.; Zanichelli.
3. Lecture notes and scientific articles provided by the teacher

The professor receives every day by appointment via e-mail: alessandra.cona@uniroma3.it

MECHANISMS OF CELL FUNCTION REGULATION: PHOSPHORYLATION- AND UBIQUITINATION-BASED INTRACELLULAR SIGNALLING; TYROSIN-KINASES AND NUCLEAR RECEPTORS AS MODULATORS OF CELLULAR FUNCTIONS .

REGULATION OF THE MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF ENDOCYTOSIS, CELL CYCLE, GENE TRANSCRIPTION, CELL MOTILITY AND CELL MIGRATION .

REGULATION OF SOME ASPECTS OF THE LIPID AND SUGAR METABOLISM WITH PARTICOLAR FOCUS ON SOME SPECIFIC REGULATORY ENZYMES (AMPK, CHOLESTEROL SENSORS) .

NO REFERENCE BOOK. MATERIAL IS SUPPLIED DURING LECTURES BY THE PROFESSOR.

The course describes and compares the replication cycles of different animal viruses that infect vertebrate hosts to gain insight into: origin of viruses, structure, evolution, virus-cell interactions, host defense mechanisms and strategies of viral immunoevasion, methods of detection, identification and titration, antiviral drugs and profilaxis of viral infections. In particular, it will be described viruses of the following viral families: picornaviridae, ortomixoviridae, paramixoviridae, rabdoviridae, retroviridae, hepadnaviridae, flaviviridae, parvoviridae, poliomaviridae, papillomaviridae, adenoviridae, herpesviridae, poxviridae. In addition, introduction to applied virology will be provided (i.e., vaccine development, viral vectors and oncolytic viruses). Students will be able to apply the acquired knowledge to understand in-depth texts and experimental data related to the discipline.

WHERE TO STUDY:
Adopted text book:
- N. J. Dimmock, A. J. Easton, K. N. Leppard - Introduction to Modern Virology - Seventh edition 2016 -Wiley Blackwell - ISBN 978-1-119-97810-7

Mandatory integrations regarding viral vectors (adenoviral, adeno-associated, retroviral and lentiviral vectors, poxvirus-based vectors) and oncolitic viruses (general introduction + oncolytic adenoviruses):

- Fields virology, Vth edition, 2007- D.M.Knipe and P.M.Howley editors-in-chief -Lippincot Williams & Wilkins publishers, cap.16 Viral vectors and their applications
- Stéphanie Durand and Andrea Cimarelli - The Inside Out of Lentiviral Vectors - Viruses 2011, 3, 132-159.

The detailed list of topics covered during the lessons and PDF of power point presentations used during the course are available upon request.
Office hours by appointment via email (elisabetta.affabris@uniroma3.it) or at the end of the lessons.

HEME-PROTEINS. HEME METABOLISM AND RELATED DISEASES. HEME BIOSYNTHESIS AND RELATED DISEASES. IRON METABOLISM AND RELATED DISEASES. INORGANIC BIOFACTORS: OXYGEN, CARBON MONOXIDE, NITROGEN MONOXIDE, HYDROGEN SULFIDE. BIOCHEMICAL AND CELLULAR ROLES OF THE INORGANIC BIOFACTORS. ROLE IOF THE INORGANIC BIOFACTORS IN HUMANN DISEASES ONSET. THE THERAPEUTIC USE OF THE INORGANIC BIOFACTORS. REACTIVE OXYGEN AND NITROGEN SPECIES. MITOCHONDRIAL DISEASES. THE ENERGETIC MATTER OF CANCER CELLS. THE METABOLIC REQUIREMENTS OF CANCER CELLS: THE WARBURG EFFECT.

SCIENTIFIC PAPERS SUPPLIED BY THE TEACHER.
Support texts:
Siliprandi & Tettamanti "Biochimica Medica - strutturale, metabolica e funzionale" Ed. Piccin
- Chiurchiù & Maccarrone "I radicali liberi e la loro rilevanza in biomedicina: dai meccanismi molecolari alle prospettive terapeutiche" Ed Piccin

RECEPTION TIME: Monday 10 am

STRUCTURE-FUNCTION RELATIONSHIPS OF HEME-BASED OXYGEN CARRIERS CATALYZING THE INACTIVATION OF NITROGEN AND OXYGEN REACTIVE SPECIES.

RECEPTION: MONDAY, FROM 10 TO 11 AM.
SPECIFIC PUBLICATIONS WILL BE PROVIDED TO STUDENTS.

- Metabolism of the main alcoholic and psychoactive drinks of nutritional value
- Signal transduction and regulation of metabolic pathways
- Metabolic regulation of the nutrition-fasting cycle
- Reactive oxygen species
- Endogenous and exogenous antioxidants
- Xenobiotics

- Leuzzi, Bellocco, Barreca “Biochimica della Nutrizione” Ed. Zanichelli

- Cozzani, Dainese "Biochimica degli alimenti e della nutrizione" Ed. Piccin.

- General Biochemistry textbooks adopted for the Biochemistry Course of the bachelor degree in Biological Sciences.

Module A - Prof.ssa Alessandra di Masi
- Fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins
- Macroelements
- Microelements
- Carbohydrates. Classification of carbohydrates. Carbohydrate biosynthesis. Digestion and absorption of carbohydrates. Fate and biological functions of carbohydrates. Regulation of carbohydrate metabolism.
- Lipids. Classification of lipids. Lipid digestion and absorption. Fate and biological functions of lipids. Regulation of carbohydrate metabolism.
- Proteins. Daily protein requirement. Nutritional properties of proteins. Protein digestion and amino acid fate. Biosynthesis of non-protein nitrogen compounds.

- Leuzzi, Bellocco, Barreca “Biochimica della Nutrizione” Ed. Zanichelli
- Cozzani, Dainese "Biochimica degli alimenti e della nutrizione" Ed. Piccin.
- Biochemistry texts used for the preparation of the Biochemistry exam of the three-year degree course in Biological Sciences.

RECEPTION TIME: Monday 10 am

GENOME (ORGANIZATION, STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION, THE EXOME AND THE GENETIC REGULATION OF GENE TRANSCRIPTION). EPIGENOME (METHYLATION, HISTONE CODE, CHROMATIN 3D ARCHITECTURE, NON-CODING RNA). GENETIC MECHANISMS OF SEX DETERMINATION (HOW DOES SEX IS GENETICALLY DETERMINED, INACTIVATION OF X CHROMOSOME, SEX-DEPENDENT PHONOTYPIC EFFECTS). CELL CYCLE REGULATION. GENETIC OF AGING (GENETIC THEORIES OF AGING, GERONTOGENES AND GENES INVOLVED IN LONGEVITY, AGING IN ANIMAL MODELS, MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR AGING). CANCER GENETICS (ONCOGENES, ONCO-SUPPRESSOR GENES, CHROMOSOMAL REARRANGEMENTS INVOLVED IN CANCER, THE CANCER STEM CELLS THEORY). INDIVIDUAL GENETIC RESPONSE AND PHARMACOGENETICS.

- SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES AND DISPENSES PROVIDED BY THE PROFESSOR
- TOM STRACHAN E ANDREW READ, GENETICA MOLECOLARE UMANA, ZANICHELLI
- MICHEAL R. CUMMINGS, EREDITA’ PRINCIPI E PROBLEMATICHE DELLA GENETICA UMANA, EDISES
- DANIEL L. HARTL ED ELIZABETH W. JONES, GENETICA ANALISI DI GENI E GENOMI, EDISES
- M.A. JOBLING, M.E. HURLES E C. TYLER-SMITH, HUMAN EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS, GARLAND SCIENCE


The professor receives every Tuesday from 16.00 to 17.00 by appointment via email: francesco.berardinelli@uniroma3.it

• LABORATORY MEDICINE AND CLINICAL BIOCHEMISTRY
BIOCHEMICAL TESTS AND LABORATORY MANAGEMENT
PREANALYTICAL, ANALYTICAL AND BIOLOGICAL VARIABILITY
REFERENCE VALUES
• QUALITY CONTROL ASSURANCE
• ANALYTICAL METHODS
IMMUNOCHEMISTRY AND INTERFERENCES
• LABORATORY ANDCARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES
LIPOPROTEIN ALTERATIONS
LABORATORY AND DIABETES MELLITUS
MARKERS OF CARDIAC DISEASES
• LABORATORY AND RENAL FUNCTION
URINALYSIS
• LABORATORY AND LIVER
• LABORATORY AND NEUROLOGICAL DISEASES
CEREBROSPINAL FLUID
• LABORATORY AND ONCOLOGY
• LABORATORY AND MALE INFERTILITY
• INTRODUCING CLINICAL MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

Clinical Biochemistry: An Illustrated Colour Text- Allan Gaw MD, ICT, 2013

Part 1- Introduction to Marine Biology and Oceanography. Brief introduction to Marine Biology and Oceanography; origin and formation of the oceans; seabed and marine sediments; physical and chemical characteristics of the oceans; sea movements (currents, tides, waves); focus on the characteristics and circulation of the Mediterranean Sea.
Part 2-Life in the Sea. Adaptations of organisms to the marine environment; reproduction and life cycles; associations between organisms; benthos and the vertical zonation; plankton; nekton; deep Sea environments; transitional environments, with particular reference to coastal lagoons. Main Mediterranean species and habitats of conservation interest. Biogeography of the Mediterranean Sea.
Part 3- Sampling and monitoring methods in the marine environment. Main methods for monitoring and data collection in the marine environment; genetics and genomics of marine organisms: classical methods and new frontiers of genomics (environmental DNA and Next Generation Sequencing).
Part 4- The Mediterranean Sea and the current challenges for its management and conservation. Brief introduction to the Community Directives, the Strategies, and the financing programmes for the protection of the marine environment; Focus on “hot topics”: adaptation and resilience to climate change; introduction of alien species, tropicalization and meridionalization of the Mediterranean Sea; impact of plastics; fishing tools and over-exploitation of fish resources; environmental contaminants and their transfer from the abiotic to the biotic compounds.

1) Cognetti G., Sarà M., Magazzù G. - Biologia Marina. Edizioni Calderini, Roma, 1999. 596 pages; or further reprints. (in Italian)
2) Castro P., Huber M.E.- Marine Biology, 11th edition Mcgraw Hill Education, 2019 (in English).
LESSON SLIDES AND ADDITIONAL MATERIAL ARE PROVIDED DURING THE COURSE

The course aims at providing to the student:
- adequate knowledge and understanding on advanced methodologies in bacterial genetics, appropriate methodologies and communication skills for the study of genotype-phenotype relationships in bacteria;
- adequate applied knowledge for the evaluation and drafting of experimental approaches, and for retrieving and critically reviewing relevant scientific literature from on-line databases (making judgements).

Programme
- structure, organization, functioning and evolution of the bacterial chromosome;
- methods for the sequencing and analysis of bacterial genomes;
- structure, organization, function and evolution of mobile genetic elements (plasmids and transposons);
- genetic and molecular bases of horizontal gene transfer;
- genetic and molecular bases of gene expression regulation and bistability in bacteria;
- genetic bases and experimental approaches for the study of antibiotic resistance and tolerance;
- methods for the identification and validation of essential genes;
- approaches for the identification and study of unculturable microorganisms

Selected topics will be available on suggested Bacterial Genetics books, as indicated in the following reference list. Specific research papers and experimental protocols will be provided during theoretic lessons on advanced research topics and laboratory practices.
Innovative teaching will be promoted by sharing power-point presentations illustrating the main topics of the course via email. Moreover, students will be encouraged to make use of web-based resources and databases to autonomously increase their knowledge on specific advanced topics.

1. Evolution and systematic of microorganisms
Origin of bacteria; molecular phylogenesis; 16S rRNA gene and evolution; basis of microbial systematic
2. Metabolic diversity of microbes
Chemolitotrophy; fermentation; anaerobiosis; phototrophy
3. Functional diversity of microbes
Phototrophic and chemotrophic bacteria; bacteria in sulfur and nitrogen cycles
4. The principal phylogenesic groups of Bacteria
Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Ipertermofili
5. The principal phylogenetic groups of Archea
Phyla and evolution
6. Methods in microbial ecology
Culture-based methods; functional analysis
Cultivation-independent techniques: microscope; genetic analysis; genome and metagenomics
7. Microbial ecosystems
Principles of ecology
Microbe environment: microbial interactions (Quorum sensing; Biofilm)
Terrestrial environment: soil
Aquatic environment: lakes, oceans
Extreme environments (deep sea; hydrothermal springs)
8. Microbial role in nutrient cycles
Carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, others
9. Symbiosis between microorganisms and between microorganisms and different organisms
Plants; rhizosphere; root nodules
Mammals; microbiome: bowel and rumen
10. Microorganisms in anthropized environments
Bioremediation of contaminated sites; water treatment; biocorrosion; mineral recovery from mines

Text book: Madigan et al., Brock Biology of microorganisms 14th edition

The concept of illness: the disease as an alteration of the normal state; the disease as a modification of the homeostasis of the organism; the disease as a loss of health. Morbid state. Syndrome. Aetiology: the concept of "cause" in pathology. Pathogenesis.

General Aetiology. Hereditary diseases and congenital malformations. Causes of embryopathies and fetopathies. Teratogenicity. Causes of chemical nature (environmental pollutants). Physical causes (high and low temperatures, atmospheric pressure variations). Nutrition as a cause of disease.

Cellular response to damage. Reversibility and irreversibility of cellular lesions. Cellular adaptive responses to physiological and pathophysiological stimuli (atrophy, hypertrophy, hyperplasia, metaplasia, dysplasia) as well as to tissue hypoxia.

Cell Death. Necrosis, apoptosis, and other types of cell death: morphological aspects, molecular mechanisms. Cellular damage assessment with serum-enzymatic techniques.

Inflammation and Repair. Innate immunity and acute inflammatory reaction: tissue, vascular, cellular and molecular aspects, systemic manifestations (leukocytosis, acute response, fever). Chronic inflammation: role of macrophages and lymphocytes, granulomas.

General Oncology. The concept of neoplasia. Clinical and genetic classification of benign and malignant tumors. Tumor markers. Natural tumor history: silent status (cancer dormancy), angiogenesis, infiltrative growth, metastasis. Metastatic pathways, organotropism of metastases. Chemical causes of tumors, experimental carcinogenesis, multiphasic carcinogenesis, concept of tumor progression. Physical causes of tumors: ionizing and exciting radiations, DNA and RNA oncogenic virus. Cell proto-oncogenes, oncosuppressor genes. Regulation of normal and neoplastic proliferation. Genes that control the progression in cell cycle and senescence. Genome instability. Neoplastic cachexia. Epigenetic mechanisms in tumors. TNM Classification.

Robbins e Cotran - Le basi patologiche delle malattie. Volume Unico di Patologie Generale. Edito da Elsevier, 8° Edizione 2010; ISBN:9788821431746
Pontieri, Russo, Frati i - Patologia Generale e Fisiopatologia Generale V ediz. -Solo Volume Primo-Edito da Picccin, 2012; ISBN: 978-88-299-2726-5
Moncharmont e coll. - Patologia Generale. Edito da Idelson-Gnocchi, 2012; ISBN:978-88-7947-542-6
Abul K. Abbas and Andrew H. Lichtman – Le basi dell’immunologia – Fisiopatologia del sistema immunitario – terza edizione 2013 , Edito da Elsevier ISBN:978-88-214-3465-5

1) Introduction: aim of the course; entomology in the history of Zoology and more generally in the history of science; role of entomology in modern biological disciplines; basic and applied entomology; relationships of insects with man and the environment.
2) Generalities on Arthropods; phylogenesis problems of Arthropods; insects in the evolution of terrestrial Arthropods; general information on the Atelocerata, and in particular on the Hexapods; outline of paleontology of insects; insect origin; significance of the evolutionary success of insects.
3) Insects as land animals; exoskeleton; structure of the integument and cuticle; chemical and physical colors. External anatomy: regions of the body; sclerites; primary and secondary segmentation; appendices and wings.
4) Movement: musculature and endoskeleton; the race; the jump; origin and mechanics of flight; adaptations to aquatic life and importance of surface forces, swimming; the excavation; raptorial and phoretic limbs.
5) Breathing; breathing in the aquatic environment; water reabsorption; excretion; adaptations to temperature changes.
6) Nutrition: cephalic appendages and mouthparts; anatomy and physiology of the digestive system; food strategies.
7) Circulatory system.
8) Reproduction: structure and functional morphology of the segments and genital appendages; reproductive systems and reproductive behaviors; parthenogenesis; pedogenesis; polyembryony; meaning of heterogony; eggs; sperm.
9) Embryonic and postembryonic development: growth and metamorphosis; types of larvae and types of metamorphosis; diapause; physiology; endocrine glands.
10) Communication in insects. Nervous system: components and functioning. Endocrine system: hormones and endocrine organs. Exocrine glands. Perception of the environment. Compound eyes. Vision. Ocelli. Mechanoreceptors. Coloration. Light production. Mechanical communication: production of sound and vibrations of the substrate. Chemical communication: pheromones and secretions of interspecific significance.
11) Intraspecific relationships; parental care; society; interspecific relationships; predation; parasitism.
12) Orientation; migrations; dispersion.
13) Classification: diagnostic characters at the level of orders and outline of the most important families, with particular regard to the Italian fauna and the aspects of biology and ecology. Phylogeny of insects.
Esapodi Apterigoti: COLLEMBOLA, PROTURA, DIPLURA, MICROCORYPHIA, ZYGENTOMA. Paleotteri: EPHEMEROPTERA, ODONATA. Polineotteri (orthopteroid orders): PLECOPTERA, EMBIOPTERA, DICTYOPTERA, ISOPTERA, GRYLLOBLATTODEA, DERMAPTERA, PHASMIDA, ORTOPTERA, ZORAPTERA, MANTOFASMATODEA. Paraneoptera (emitteroid orders): PSOCOPTERA, PHTHIRAPTERA, THYSANOPTERA, HETEROPTERA. Homoptera. Oligoneotteri: MECOPTERA, TRICHOPTERA, LEPIDOPTERA, DIPTERA, SIPHONAPTERA, MEGALOPTERA, RAPHIDIOPTERA, PLANIPENNIA, COLEOPTERA, STREPSIPTERA, HYMENOPTERA.
14) Aspects of applied entomology: medical entomology, agricultural entomology, entomology in environmental assessment, insect conservation, urban entomology, veterinary entomology, entomology applied to conservation of cultural heritage.

P.J. Gullan & P.S. Cranston “Lineamenti di Entomologia” Zanichelli
R.G. Davies “Lineamenti di Entomologia” Zanichelli

G. Grimaldi “Evolution of the Insects”
R.F. Chapman “The Insects: structure and function” Hodder & Stoughton, London
C. Gillot “Entomology” Plenum Press, New York
O.W. Richards & R.G. Davies “Imm’s general textbook of entomology” Chapman & Hall, London Vol. I e II
M. Chinery “Guida agli insetti d’Europa” Muzzio

Office Hours: every day of the week by appointment by email (andrea.digiulio@uniroma3.it)

Properties and Overview of Immune Responses: Cells and Tissues of the Immune System
Leukocyte Circulation and Migration into Tissues
Innate Immunity
Antigens and Antigen presentation
Immune Receptors and Signal Transduction
Lymphocyte T Development and Activation
Differentiation and Functions of CD4+ and CD8 +Effector T Cells
B Cell Activation and Antibody Production
Humoral Immunity
Immunologic Tolerance and Autoimmunity
Immunity to Microbes and Vaccines
Immunity to Tumors
Immunodeficiency and Immunosenescence
Pubmed research

- Abul K. Abbas, Andrew H. Lichtman, Shiv Pillai
IMMUNOLOGIA CELLULARE E MOLECOLARE
(9th edition, Edizioni Edra)

- Peter Parham
IL SISTEMA IMMUNITARIO
(2nd editio, Edizioni EdiSES)

The course aims at providing to the student:
- adequate knowledge and understanding on advanced methodologies in microbial biotechnology, appropriate methodologies and communication skills for the isolation, observation, description and engineering of industrial microorganisms;
- adequate applied knowledge for drafting and executing experimental protocols, and for retrieving and critically reviewing relevant scientific literature from on-line databases (making judgements).

Programme
During the laboratory practices and the corresponding theoretic lessons, the following topics will be covered:
- isolation of microorganisms of industrial relevance from the environment, preparation of growth media and cultivation techniques;
- transposon–based mutagenesis (generation and screening of mutant libraries);
- genetic transfer processes (conjugation and transformation);
- use of whole-cell bacterial biosensors for gauging specific molecules produced by other microorganisms.
The following topics will be covered in additional theoretic lessons:
- development of innovative therapeutic strategies based on biotechnological processes;
- development of biosensors and reporter systems for the identification of new drugs;
- application of synthetic biology to microbial biotechnology;
- properties of the regulatory networks and their application to biotechnological processes.

Selected topics will be available on suggested Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnology books, as indicated in the following reference list. Specific research papers and experimental protocols will be provided during theoretic lessons on advanced research topics and laboratory practices.
Innovative teaching will be promoted by cloud-sharing of power-point presentations illustrating the main topics of the course. Moreover, students will be encouraged to make use of web-based resources and databases to autonomously increase their knowledge on specific advanced topics.
Students will be received every Monday, from 3:00 to 4:00 pm. Students can be received at the best of their convenience if an appointment has been fixed at the end of the lessons or by email.

The course aims at providing to the student:
- adequate knowledge and understanding on advanced methodologies in microbial biotechnology, appropriate methodologies and communication skills for the isolation, observation, description and engineering of industrial microorganisms;
- adequate applied knowledge for drafting and executing experimental protocols, and for retrieving and critically reviewing relevant scientific literature from on-line databases (making judgements).

Programme
During the laboratory practices and the corresponding theoretic lessons, the following topics will be covered:
- isolation of microorganisms of industrial relevance from the environment, preparation of growth media and cultivation techniques;
- transposon–based mutagenesis (generation and screening of mutant libraries);
- genetic transfer processes (conjugation and transformation);
- use of whole-cell bacterial biosensors for gauging specific molecules produced by other microorganisms.
The following topics will be covered in additional theoretic lessons:
- development of innovative therapeutic strategies based on biotechnological processes;
- development of biosensors and reporter systems for the identification of new drugs;
- application of synthetic biology to microbial biotechnology;
- properties of the regulatory networks and their application to biotechnological processes.

Selected topics will be available on suggested Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnology books, as indicated in the following reference list. Specific research papers and experimental protocols will be provided during theoretic lessons on advanced research topics and laboratory practices.
Innovative teaching will be promoted by cloud-sharing of power-point presentations illustrating the main topics of the course. Moreover, students will be encouraged to make use of web-based resources and databases to autonomously increase their knowledge on specific advanced topics.
Students will be received every Monday, from 3:00 to 4:00 pm. Students can be received at the best of their convenience if an appointment has been fixed at the end of the lessons or by email.

The course describes and compares the replication cycles of different animal viruses that infect vertebrate hosts to gain insight into: origin of viruses, structure, evolution, virus-cell interactions, host defense mechanisms and strategies of viral immunoevasion, methods of detection, identification and titration, antiviral drugs and profilaxis of viral infections. In particular, it will be described viruses of the following viral families: picornaviridae, ortomixoviridae, paramixoviridae, rabdoviridae, retroviridae, hepadnaviridae, flaviviridae, parvoviridae, poliomaviridae, papillomaviridae, adenoviridae, herpesviridae, poxviridae. In addition, introduction to applied virology will be provided (i.e., vaccine development, viral vectors and oncolytic viruses). Students will be able to apply the acquired knowledge to understand in-depth texts and experimental data related to the discipline.

WHERE TO STUDY:
Adopted text book:
- N. J. Dimmock, A. J. Easton, K. N. Leppard - Introduction to Modern Virology - Seventh edition 2016 -Wiley Blackwell - ISBN 978-1-119-97810-7

Mandatory integrations regarding viral vectors (adenoviral, adeno-associated, retroviral and lentiviral vectors, poxvirus-based vectors) and oncolitic viruses (general introduction + oncolytic adenoviruses):

- Fields virology, Vth edition, 2007- D.M.Knipe and P.M.Howley editors-in-chief -Lippincot Williams & Wilkins publishers, cap.16 Viral vectors and their applications
- Stéphanie Durand and Andrea Cimarelli - The Inside Out of Lentiviral Vectors - Viruses 2011, 3, 132-159.

The detailed list of topics covered during the lessons and PDF of power point presentations used during the course are available upon request.
Office hours by appointment via email (elisabetta.affabris@uniroma3.it) or at the end of the lessons.

INTRODUCTION TO NATURAL PRODUCTS CHEMISTRY. MAIN FEATURES OF SECONDARY METABOLISM.
ACETATE PATHWAY. PROSTAGLANDINS, AROMATIC POLYKETIDES, ANTHRAQUINONES, CANNABINOIDS, AFLATOXINS.
SHIKIMATE PATHWAY. SHIKIMIC ACID BIOSYNTHESIS. CINNAMIC ACIDS. LIGNINES. PHENYLPROPANOIDS. BENZOIC ACIDS. COUMARINS. FLAVONOIDS. TANNINS. ISOFLAVONES. TERPENOID QUINONES.
MEVALONATE PATHWAY. MEVALONIC ACID BIOGENESIS. BIOSYNTHESIS OF DIFFERENT CLASSES OF TERPENES. IRIDOIDS. GIBBERELLINS. HORMONES. ANIMAL AND HUMAN STEROIDS. PHYTOSTEROLS.
ALKALOIDS: DEFINITION AND NOMENCLATURE. BIOSYNTHESIS AND BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY OF THE MAIN CLASSES OF NATURAL ALKALOIDS: COCAINE, NICOTINE, CURARE, MORPHINE, LOGANIN, LYSERGIC ACID, CONIINE.
CARBOHYDRATES: GENERALITIES. CYANOGENIC GLYCOSIDES. STREPTOMYCINS.
PEPTIDIC SECONDARY METABOLITES. INTERFERONS. OPIOID PEPTIDES. PEPTIDE TOXINS: RICIN AND BOTULIN. PENICILLINS.
INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY. THE SPHERES IN WHICH THE EARTH IS DIVIDED.
THE ATMOSPHERE: OZONE LAYER FORMATION AND DEPLETION; CFCS AND HALONS. OXIDANT AND POLLUTANTS SPECIES. THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT. THE KYOTO’S PROTOCOL.
THE HYDROSPHERE: PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF WATER AND WATER BODIES. TIC, TOC, TC. EASY TO OXIDIZE ORGANIC POLLUTANTS (COD, BOD5) AND PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS (POP). SHORT AND LONG TERM TOXICITY (LD50 AND LOD50). NOEL AND ADI.
BIOACCUMULATION AND BIO-MAGNIFICATION. METABOLISM OF A FEW PESTICIDES.

P.M. DEWICK : MEDICINAL NATURAL PRODUCTS. A BIOSYNTHETIC APPROACH. THIRD EDITION. WILEY..
C. BAIRD, M. CANN “ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY”, FIFTH EDITION.
SLIDES OF THE LESSONS AND ADDITIONAL MATERIAL (PW PROTECTED) ARE AVAILABLE ON LINE AT THE ADDRESS: HTTP://HOST.UNIROMA3.IT/CENTRI/CISDIC/INDEX.HTM

Ecology and plant diversity of coastal ecosystems

Coastal ecosystems, the transition between land and sea. Environmental gradients. Ecotones and transitions. Plant diversity in coastal, rocky and lagoon coastal environments. Major features and distribution throughout the world. Plant communites in Italy and Europe (Mediterranean and Atlantic). Analyses of main plant communities and habitats (European Directive 92/43/EEC (Habitat Directive) present in Italy. Conservation problems. Sampling tecniques and data analyses.


Ecologia e diversità faunistica delle coste sabbiose, delle lagune costiere e delle coste rocciose
The animal communities of coastal dunes and their ecological relations with plants. Interactions between the animal communities of coastal dunes and Mediterranean evergreen scrub. The fauna of coastal wetlands and their importance as sites of bird nesting and winter refuges. The Ramsar Convention: conservation and management issues in wetlands. Stranding and recovery of marine vertebrates (whales, dolphins and sea turtles). Nesting of sea turtles and their conservation. Coexistence of marine and land animals in the intertidal zone. Fauna of tide pools. Sea bird nesting on rock cliffs: conservation and management issues.


Conservation and management of coastal ecosystems

Conservation of coastal ecoystems. Disturbance factors. The role of disturbance on coastal ecosystems. Response to disturbance. Endangered species. Alien species. Bioindicators. Environmental quality and conservation status. Conservation and Management.

Acosta A. & Ercole S. 2017. Gli habitat delle coste sabbiose italiane: ecologia e problematiche di conservazione. Quaderni ISPRA (Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale 215/2015.
Ruffo, S. (a cura di). (2002). Dune e spiagge sabbiose. Ambienti fra terra e mare. Quaderni Habitat, 4. Ministero dell’Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio. Scaricabile dal sito del Ministero.

DEFINITION AND PROPERTIES OF PLANT COMMUNITIES. STRUCTURAL AND PHYSIOGNOMICAL CHARACTER OF VEGETATION. DISCRETE AND CONCRETE COMMUNITIES. ZONES AND BANDS OF VEGETATION. CONCEPT OF ZONALITY, AZONALITY AND EXTRAZONALITY. VEGETATION DYNAMICS AND POTENTIAL NATURAL VEGETATION.
GROWTH FORMS AND PLANT TRAITS. ANALYSES OF THE FUNCTIONAL DIVERSITY AND GRIME’S STRATEGIES (C-S-R). DIVERSITY ANALYSES: GENERAL CONCEPT, ALGORITHMS CALCULATION, RAREFACTION CURVE, ABUNDANCE/DOMINANCE RANK, RE’NY CURVES. SAMPLING METHODS OF THE PLANT COMMUNITIES (RANDOM AND SYSTEMATIC SAMPLING). SIZE AND DISTRIBUTION OF SAMPLES. ABUNDANCE MEASURES. ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE PHYTOSOCIOLOGY AND SYMPHYTOSOCIOLOGY.
GENERAL CONCEPT OF THE VEGETATION MAPPING. VEGETATION AND HABITAT INTERPRETATION (EUNIS AND ALL. I OF THE 92/43/CEE DIRECTIVE. HABITATS MONITORING, EUROPEAN AND NATIONAL RED LISTS OF HABITAT. MULTITEMPORAL ANALYSIS, ANTHROPIC IMPACT AND EFFECT OF VEGETATION.

BRECKLE S.W., 2002. Walter’s Vegetation of the Earth.Springer.
VAN DER MAAREL E. (Ed.), 2005. Vegetation Ecology. Blackwell Publishing.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES. AIMS AND FIELDS OF TOXICOLOGY. CLASSIFICATION OF TOXIC AGENTS. MECHANISMS OF MOLECULAR AND CELL TOXICITY. RISK EVALUATION. TOXICOKINETICS: ABSORPTION, DISTRIBUTION, METABOLISM AND EXCRETION OF TOXIC AGENTS. ADVERSE DRUG REACTIONS, DRUG INTERACTIONS AND PRINCIPLES OF PHARMACOVIGILANCE. ANTIDOTES AND THEIR CLASSIFICATION. EXPERIMENTAL EVALUATION OF TOXIC EFFECTS IN IN VITRO AND IN VIVO MODELS AND DATA EXTRAPOLATION. SYSTEM AND ORGAN TOXICOLOGY. DEVELOPMENTAL AND FEEDING TOXICOLOGY. CLASSES OF TOXIC COMPOUNDS: METALS, PHYTODRUGS, NATURAL TOXINS. PSYCHOACTIVE AND DOPING DRUGS.

CASARETT & DOULL'S “ESSENTIALS OF TOXICOLOGY”, SECOND EDITION, MCGRAW HILL

Power-point files of the lessons will be provided
To get an appointment with the Professor, email to: viviana.trezza@uniroma3.it

Cultural knowledge: 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 glial cell biology.
Methodological skills: to know how to design an experiment using glial cell cultures, to acquire and analyze the data obtained from the laboratory activity.
Topics:
The course will deepen the following topics: morphology and ultrastructure of glial cells; Properties and functions of astrocytes; homeostasis of pH, K and volume; The neuro-glial-vascular unit, mechanism of cerebral blood flow regulation; gliotransmitters release and the tripartite synapse; The role of nitric oxide as neurotransmitter and neurotoxic factor; Microglia: activation, motility and immune surveillance; Reactive astrocytosis, neurodegenerative and infectious diseases. Cellular response to oxidative stress. The laboratory activity will be mainly devoted to the study of nitric oxide as cellular messenger in glial cell cultures. Experimental procedures include but are not limited to the following: Preparation of whole, cytoplasmic and nuclear extracts, Western Blot; Analysis of gene expression and transcription factor activation (RNA extraction, RT-PCR, EMSA, TransAM-ELISA); Modulation of gene expression (Oligo-Decoy); Cell Transfection; Analysis of nitric oxide (NO) pathway and determination of NO in living cells and in cell extracts.

BRUCE R. RANSOM, HELMUT KETTENMANN. “NEUROGLIA”
– THIRD EDITION – 2012 OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS

Slides in PDF format of all the lectures will be provided by the teacher.

The teacher receives the students at least once a week by appointment via e-mail: tiziana.persichini@uniroma3.it

The main objective of the course is to provide basic knowledge on the main nutrients present in different food plants, such as carbohydrates, lipids and proteins. Specific attention is paid to the biochemical plasticity of secondary metabolism that leads to the formation of both secondary metabolites and bioactive compounds with beneficial effects on human health and anti-nutritional or toxic factors.

Origin of agriculture and plant domestication. Characteristics of the main crops: Poaceae, Fabaceae, Rosaceae, Solanaceae, Brassicaceae. Nutritional values of the different plant organs and nutrients bioavailability. Primary and secondary metabolism. Nutrients from plants: proteins, lipids and oils, carbohydrates, fibers, minerals, vitamins and antioxidants. Nutritional values of secondary metabolism and bioactive compounds: terpenes, phenols, alkaloids, cyanogenic glucosides, glucosinolates, non-protein amino acids. Effects of the environmental conditions on primary and secondary metabolism: food quality and production of aromas, flavors and toxins. Plant bioactive compounds as dietary supplements. Effects of storage conditions and pre- and post-harvest diseases on nutritional quality of plant foods. Allergy and intolerances caused by plant substances present in crop species. Genetic improvement and biotechnology approaches to develop crop plants with high nutritive contents and resistant to environmental stress.

1. Piante alimentari. Biologia, composizione chimica, utilizzazione. Rinallo C.; Piccin.
2. Biologia delle Piante. Vol 2: Interazioni con l’ambiente e Domesticazione. Smith A. M. et al.; Zanichelli.
3. Lecture notes and scientific articles provided by the teacher

The professor receives every day by appointment via e-mail: alessandra.cona@uniroma3.it

MECHANISMS OF CELL FUNCTION REGULATION: PHOSPHORYLATION- AND UBIQUITINATION-BASED INTRACELLULAR SIGNALLING; TYROSIN-KINASES AND NUCLEAR RECEPTORS AS MODULATORS OF CELLULAR FUNCTIONS .

REGULATION OF THE MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF ENDOCYTOSIS, CELL CYCLE, GENE TRANSCRIPTION, CELL MOTILITY AND CELL MIGRATION .

REGULATION OF SOME ASPECTS OF THE LIPID AND SUGAR METABOLISM WITH PARTICOLAR FOCUS ON SOME SPECIFIC REGULATORY ENZYMES (AMPK, CHOLESTEROL SENSORS) .

NO REFERENCE BOOK. MATERIAL IS SUPPLIED DURING LECTURES BY THE PROFESSOR.

through a series of seminars and discussions on different aspects of biology profession, also with the participation of expert professional biologists,students would have a panoramic view of possible biology working activities in modern society
Lezione Introduttiva
Sicurezza nelle aziende
Sicurezza e qualità alimentare
Il Biologo nella industria farmaceutica 1 CRA
Il sistema HACCP
Il Biologo nella industria farmaceutica 2 Regulatory, Farmaco vigilanza,
Il ruolo del Biologo nell'azienda farmaceutica:
l'esperienza in Direzione Medica
Biologia Forense
Il Biologo nel Monitoraggio ambientale
informatore scientifico del farmaco
importanza della vaccinazione nell’età pediatrica
Citogenetica e Citogenomica
Biologo nel SSN
Il Biologo nel laboratorio di analisi
Il Biologo incontra il territorio
Principi base sulla brevettazione
Nutrigenomica
Il Biologo nella sicurezza nei luoghi di lavoro
Aspetti normativi della professione del Biologo
Il giornalismo scientifico
Il ruolo del biologo nell'azienda ospedaliera
Il Biologo nutrizionista
Il biologo nelle aziende alimentari
Il Biologo nelle aziende

Lecture notes and calculation exercises will be provided

The professor receives every day from 8.00 to 9.00 or by appointment via e-mail: giovanni.antonini@uniroma3.it