Titolo

N ore

Descrizione

Titolari

Epigenetic mechanisms of gene regulation

8

The course aims to describe the main epigenetic mechanisms involved in the modulation of the different levels of the biological information flow in response to environmental cues. The most modern and relevant molecular biology techniques used in these studies will be outlined. In addition, some of the most recent discoveries in this field of advanced research will be interpreted and commented, also referring to the role of epigenetic regulation in the field of human health.

Prof. V. Cavalieri

Computational Drug Design:

10

The course aims to help the doctoral student acquire the skills necessary to understand the issues inherent in the design and development of bioactive molecules. The course will focus on computational approaches that can facilitate the identification and optimization of hits and lead compounds.

The continuous discovery of new biological targets suitable for therapeutic intervention should be accompanied by a high and rapid development of newly discovered ligands or drug repurposing. From this perspective, computational approaches, such as Docking, molecular dynamics, free energy calculations, and reverse modeling represent efficient tools for obtaining information on structure-function relationships for small molecules or natural compounds. Other ligand-based approaches, such as molecular similarity fingerprints, shape methods, pharmacophoric modeling, and QSARs are also widely used in hit/lead identification and optimization.

The course hinges on the objectives of the doctorate and the topics may prove valid for using these approaches in a multidisciplinary way (Applied Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Biotechnology, Medicine and Bioengineering, Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technology).

Marco Tutone

Drug development for the pharmaceutical industry

10

The course is aimed at PhD students who wish to continue their research in the pharmaceutical industry. Lessons will focus on the application of advanced organic synthesis techniques for drug development. After the rational design of new bioactive molecules, the synthesis will be developed through the application of innovative techniques, such as microwave, click chemistry, solid-phase synthesis, and flow chemistry, and by environmentally friendly processes for the isolation and purification of new molecules (e.g. MPLC, SPE). The last part of the course will focus on the preclinical and clinical development phases of a bioactive molecule for drug approval and marketing. 

Maria Valeria Raimondi

Applications of Physics to Medicine

8

The course aims to provide PhD students with general knowledge on the applications of Physics to medicine by describing the experimental procedures underlying the main medical applications and advanced diagnostic and therapy techniques.

In particular, the main diagnostic techniques (such as radiography, radioscopy, computed tomography, positron emission tomography, structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging) will be introduced in both clinical and preclinical settings. The physical principles of the various techniques as well as the information provided on the structure and functionality of the various organs and tissues will be discussed.

In the therapeutic field, both radiotherapy techniques with conventional beams and with hadrons and recent therapies with focused ultrasound will be presented..

Prof. M. Marrale

Nanostructured systems for drug delivery: production and characterization

6

The course aims at providing basic principles on the production and characterization of nanostructured drug delivery systems. In particular, design, fabrication and characterization of nanostructured carriers for controlled drug delivery, drug targeting, and theranostics, will be discussed. Lessons will be focused on most advanced platforms applied either for therapy and bioimaging and their potential combination for theranostics. Pharmacokinetic aspects, biomaterials properties, production, synthetic and chemical functionalization and physical-chemical characterization procedures will be presented and discussed.

Prof. F.S. Palumbo

Prof. M. Licciardi

Production and characterization of electrospun biomaterials for drug delivery and regenerative medicine

6

The course aims at providing theoretical and practical basis about manufacturing and chemical-physical characterization procedures of electro-spun biomaterials applied for the drug delivery and regenerative medicine purposes. Theoretical notions on the electrospinning manufacturing technique will be presented and discussed. Most advanced biomedical applications will be presented and discussed; practical sections of the manufacturing procedures will also be carried out.

Prof. F.S. Palumbo

Prof. M. Licciardi

3D and Super Resolution Microscopy

18

The course addresses PhD students and aims to provide key concepts related to experimental techniques regarding advanced optical microscopy with applications to biology, biophysics, biomedicine and nanotechnologies and related research fields. The course wants to lead students to the full acquisition of knowledge and skills useful for the correct designing and implementation of experiments that involve the acquisition of volumetric and/or high spatial-resolved images (super resolution). The course, after an introduction to the fundamentals of optical microscopy, deals with the theoretical and experimental aspects concerning confocal and multiphoton fluorescence microscopy, light sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) and the most advanced methods of super resolution (Stimulated emission depletion microscopy - STED, Photoactivated localization microscopy - PALM, Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy - STORM) for the observation of high-resolved three-dimensional reconstruction of living and fixed biological samples. The course aims to provide fundamental skills to identify, using the analyzed microscopy techniques, the involved molecular mechanisms of the specific experimental models of interest for students. Particular attention is due to the physical characteristics concerning the preparation of the samples for a correct three-dimensional visualization and analysis. The course also intends to provide the basis knowledge for the use of specific softwares for analyzing microscopy data and for a quantitative interpretation of the images. Furthermore, the course aims to provide transversal soft skills that result in the critical ability to independently select the appropriate experimental procedures and the suitable advanced microscopy techniques for the correct visualization of the specific sample under examination.

Dr. G. Sancataldo

NMR techniques for the determination on molecular and materials structure

24

The course is aimed at illustrating the use of modern NMR techniques for elucidating the structure of molecular compounds and for characterizing supramolecular aggregates and organic materials. It provides 24 hours of front lectures and focuses on the following topics:

- Introduction to NMR spectroscopy: spin theory, excitation of spinning nuclei, chemical shift. Pulse NMR techniques, nuclear relaxation and FID, pulse sequences, relaxation times and their determination.

- 1H NMR spectroscopy: chemical shift of 1H nuclei, magnetic anisotropy of unsaturated functional groups. Spin coupling and coupling constants, complex spin systems, magnetic equivalence and its consequences. Double resonance techniques: decoupling, polarization transfer, NOE effect and its application to stereochemistry problems.

- 13C NMR spectroscopy: 1H-13C decoupling and its consequences, off-resonance, inverse-gated decoupling, INEPT and DEPT techniques.

- Correlation Spectroscopy: homo- and hetero-correlation, COSY, HETCOR, HMQC, HSQC, COLOC and HMBC techniques, 13C-13C correlation spectroscopy, INADEQUATE.

- Advanced NMR techniques: 2D and 2D TOCSY, NOESY and ROESY, dynamic NMR and its applications, solid-state NMR, FFC-NMR relaxometry.

- Interpretation of combined NMR spectra.

Prof. P. Lo Meo.

Fundamentals for approaching the use of animal models in preclinical research

8

The proposed lessons are aimed at doctoral students who intend to approach the use of animals for research, in order to provide the basic knowledge to be able to plan procedures and projects and to take care of animals.

Course topics will focus on

Module I

- National legislation on the use of animals for scientific purposes

- Drafting of documents for the Ministerial Authorization Request for a project involving the use of animals for scientific purposes

- basics of rodent biology and physiology

Module II

- basics on zebrafish biology and physiology

- use of zebrafish in biomedical research

Module III

-Generation of animal models for the study of human health

Prof M. G. Zizzo

Prof V. Cavalieri

Prof G. Ghersi

Physical-Chemistry of Nanomaterials and their Applications

24

The course aims to provide knowledge regarding nanotechnologies and their use in human health. These topics will be addressed in a multidisciplinary manner, emphasizing the development and optimization of bio- and eco-friendly nanomaterials and the required chemical-physical and biological properties for their safe and effective application in biomedicine.

The course includes 24 hours of frontal teaching and will be structured as follows:

1) Introduction to nanotechnology, its value for human health, the difficulties in designing and optimizing nanomaterials and nanodevices for biomedical applications, and the processes used (bottom-up, top-down, and template-based) for their production.

2) Characteristics and discriminating interactions in nanomaterials compared to bulk materials. Notes on the physical-chemistry of solid surfaces and surface energy.

3) Stabilization of nanomaterials for their use: the Derjaguin, Landau, Vervey, and Overbeek (DLVO) theory of stability for colloidal systems and its extension.

4) Fundamental parameters for designing and producing nanomaterials: the importance of size and morphology for their chemical-physical and application properties. Case studies: nanoparticles, one- (nanowires and nanorods) and two-dimensional (thin films) structures, and the main formation mechanisms.

5) Techniques for the physical-chemical characterization of nanomaterials and their properties.

6) Applications of nanomaterials in (bio) medicine as diagnostic, theranostic, and therapeutic agents. Case studies: nanomaterials such as contrast agents, cell markers, and new antimicrobials. Notes on the use of nanomaterials as anticancer and for tissue engineering. Notes on the toxicity and safety of using nanomaterials for human health.

Dr. E. Piacenza

Antibacterial activity and drug-resistance acquisition: cellular targets and molecular mechanisms

10

The course aims to provide basic knowledge of the cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate the activity of prokaryotic cells. Some of the main natural and/or synthetic drugs used in the clinic in contrasting antibacterial infections will be presented, deepening their mechanisms of action with particular attention to cellular structures, chosen as drug targets. Some of the genetic and biochemical mechanisms underlying drug resistance will also be described during the course.

Prof. R. Alduina

Antitumoral activity and drug-resistance acquisition: cellular targets and molecular mechanisms

10

The course aims to provide basic knowledge of the cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate the activity of tumoral cells. Some of the main natural and/or synthetic drugs used in the clinic in contrasting tumor growth will be presented, deepening their mechanisms of action with particular attention to cellular structures, chosen as drug targets. Some of the genetic and biochemical mechanisms underlying drug resistance will also be described during the course.

Prof. Patrizia Cancemi

Isolation and characterization of bioactive molecules and biopolymers from invertebrate animals

8

The course aims to provide PhD students general knowledge on the use of invertebrate animals for the identification of bioactive molecules (drugs, reagents, probes, peptides) and biopolymers from invertebrate organisms.

The course will focus on methods and computational approaches that can facilitate the identification and optimization of bioactive molecules.

- Toxins as Potential Biotools for the Development of Novel Therapeutics (Analgesic Drug, Neuroprotective Effector, Chemotherapy Drugs, Anti-Inflammatory Drugs, Adjuvant for Drug Absorption, Diagnostic Tests); Recombinant Toxins (Biotools and Drug Targets).

-Venom peptides used in the treatment of neurological diseases such as epilepsy, neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, pain treatment;

- Isolation and characterization of peptides with antimicrobial, antitumor and immunomodulatory activity from marine invertebrates.

Prof. A. Vizzini