Unit BIOLOGY APPLIED TO CELL ENGINEERING
- Course
- Molecular and industrial biotechnology
- Study-unit Code
- A005463
- Curriculum
- In all curricula
- Teacher
- Maria Laura Belladonna
- Teachers
-
- Maria Laura Belladonna
- Hours
- 57 ore - Maria Laura Belladonna
- CFU
- 6
- Course Regulation
- Coorte 2025
- Offered
- 2026/27
- Learning activities
- Affine/integrativa
- Area
- Attività formative affini o integrative
- Sector
- BIO/13
- Type of study-unit
- Obbligatorio (Required)
- Type of learning activities
- Attività formativa monodisciplinare
- Language of instruction
- English
- Contents
Biology of infection and immune responses. Production and characterization of polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies. PCR technologies and primer design. Recombinant protein production and genome editing. Programmed cell death. Cancer and biotechnological applications.
Laboratory: cloning of a gene construct and its expression in eukaryotic cells.- Reference texts
Main Textbook: Alberts et al., Molecular Biology of the Cell, latest available edition.
Additional Reading: Freshney R.I., Culture of Animal Cells. A Manual of Basic Technique and Specialized Applications, Wiley.
Teaching materials and scientific articles provided by the instructor.- Educational objectives
The course of Applied Biology for Cell Engineering is part of the educational area devoted to the study of cellular and molecular systems and their biotechnological applications. It examines the major cellular mechanisms involved in host–pathogen interactions, immune responses, programmed cell death, and tumor development, integrating them with advanced molecular and cellular biology methodologies employed in cell engineering.
Particular emphasis will be placed on the production and characterization of polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies, peptide antigen design, hybridoma technology, PCR primer design, recombinant protein production strategies, and genome editing applications based on CRISPR/Cas9 systems.
The experimental component of the course will allow students to apply molecular and cellular biology methodologies through laboratory activities focused on the design and cloning of gene constructs, manipulation of cell cultures, and structural and functional analysis of expressed proteins.
The main objective of the course is to provide students with an integrated view of the biological mechanisms regulating cellular behavior and of the principal technologies used to study and modify cellular functions. The experimental component aims to provide practical skills in the laboratory methodologies most commonly employed in cell engineering.
The main knowledge acquired will concern: principles of the cellular biology of infection and immune responses; production of polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies; primer design and applications of PCR technologies; expression systems and recombinant protein production; genome editing through CRISPR/Cas9 technologies; molecular mechanisms of programmed cell death and tumor development; gene cloning, cell transfection, and functional characterization of proteins.
The main skills acquired will include: interpreting the behavior of cellular systems in response to biological and molecular stimuli; designing experimental strategies for gene amplification and analysis; understanding the principal methodologies used for antibody and recombinant protein production; critically evaluating the applications of cell engineering technologies; selecting the most appropriate experimental approaches for the study of cellular and molecular functions.- Prerequisites
To effectively follow and understand the topics covered in the course of Applied Biology for Cell Engineering, students are expected to possess a solid background in cellular and molecular biology, normally acquired during undergraduate degree programs in Biology and/or Biotechnology.- Teaching methods
Face-to-face lectures and practical laboratory activities. Lectures will be delivered with the support of PowerPoint presentations and examples drawn from the scientific literature. PDF copies of presentations and laboratory protocols will be made available to students through the Unistudium platform.- Other information
The instructor receives students by appointment, which can be requested via e-mail. For information on support services for students with disabilities and/or Specific Learning Disorders (SLD), please visit: http://www.unipg.it/disabilita-e-dsa- Learning verification modality
The examination consists of an oral test lasting no longer than 30 minutes and is aimed at assessing the student's level of knowledge, understanding, and ability to integrate concepts covered during the course. The oral examination will also evaluate the student’s communication skills and appropriate use of scientific terminology in the field of cellular biology, with particular reference to topics addressed during both lectures and laboratory activities.
The examination will take place at the end of the course according to the official examination schedule. Grading will be expressed on a 30-point scale (minimum passing grade: 18/30; maximum grade: 30/30 cum laude).
No intermediate examinations are planned.
Students with Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) may divide the examination program into two parts (the first related to lectures and the second related to laboratory activities) and take the corresponding examinations on separate but consecutive examination dates.- Extended program
Biology of Infection and Immune Responses
Principles of the cellular biology of infection; host–pathogen interactions; human microbiota and homeostasis; cellular and molecular mechanisms of innate and adaptive immunity; antigen presentation; MHC molecules; T and B lymphocytes; immunological memory and tolerance.
Antibody Production
Structure and function of immunoglobulins; antigens and epitopes; design of peptide antigens; animal immunization strategies; production of polyclonal antibodies; hybridoma technology for monoclonal antibody production; clone selection and characterization; use of antibodies for the phenotypic and functional characterization of cells; recombinant antibodies and their biotechnological and therapeutic applications.
PCR Technologies, Primer Design and Bioinformatics Tools
Principles of PCR; criteria for primer design; melting temperature, GC content and secondary structures; conventional PCR, RT-PCR and qPCR; use of biological databases and bioinformatics tools for gene and nucleotide sequence analysis.
Recombinant Protein Production
Expression vectors; prokaryotic and eukaryotic expression systems; expression and characterization of recombinant proteins.
Genome Editing
Principles of CRISPR/Cas9 systems; guide RNA design; knock-out and knock-in strategies; biotechnological and therapeutic applications of genome editing; specificity, off-target effects, and delivery strategies.
Cell Death
Molecular mechanisms of apoptosis; extrinsic and intrinsic pathways; caspases; regulation of apoptosis by Bcl-2 family proteins and IAPs; overview of necroptosis, pyroptosis, and ferroptosis.
Cancer
Molecular mechanisms of tumor development and progression; oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes; Ras, Rb, and p53; genomic instability; molecular biomarkers; principles of precision medicine; therapeutic monoclonal antibodies, cancer immunotherapy, and genetically modified cells for therapeutic applications.
Laboratory Activities
Design and cloning of a gene construct into an expression vector; manipulation of cell cultures (eukaryotic cell lines); RNA extraction and gene amplification (PCR); agarose gel electrophoresis; DNA purification (gene insert to be cloned); bacterial transformation; colony PCR; plasmid DNA purification from bacterial cultures; transfection of eukaryotic cells; structural and functional analysis of the expressed protein (protein analysis by Western blotting and catalytic activity analysis by HPLC); validation of the expressed protein as a pharmacological target.- Obiettivi Agenda 2030 per lo sviluppo sostenibile
Good Health and Well-Being (Goal 3); Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure (Goal 9); Life on Land (Goal 15).