BIOTECNOLOGIE MICROBICHE E AGROALIMENTARI

Module GENETICA DEI MICRORGANISMI

The course will provide the fundamentals for understanding, observing, interpreting, and managing the growth of microorganisms in complex matrices, whether food-related or environmental. It will also provide the basis for selecting, identifying, and characterizing microorganisms used in the agri-food sector. Independent judgment will be fostered through practical examples and case studies. Communication and learning skills will be encouraged through the preparation and presentation of scientific reports and/or laboratory work.

Specifically, students are expected to acquire understanding, communication skills, and independent judgment as outlined below:

Knowledge and understanding – (Dublin 1)

By the end of the course, students must demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the course's core content.

ASSESSMENT METHOD: Oral exam.

Applying knowledge and understanding  – (Dublin 2)

By the end of the course, students must demonstrate the ability to identify the main natural genetic recombination phenomena in microorganisms of interest to the agri-food sector.

ASSESSMENT METHOD: Oral exam.

Autonomy of judgment – ​​(Dublin 3)

By the end of the course, students must demonstrate the ability to form interpretive judgments based on the knowledge acquired; they must also be able to evaluate and interpret scientific literature.

ASSESSMENT METHOD: Oral exam.

Communication skills – (Dublin 4)

By the end of the course, students must demonstrate the use of correct technical terminology, adapting their oral and written communication to the required standard and specific objectives.

ASSESSMENT METHOD: Oral exam.

 Lifelong learning skills – (Dublin 5)

By the end of the course, the student must demonstrate knowledge of the means and tools for keeping their knowledge and skills up to date and for undertaking further studies with a high degree of autonomy.

ASSESSMENT METHOD: In part, through an oral exam.

 

The teaching includes 21 hours of frontal lessons and 42 hours of exercises.

Teaching could be carried out in a mixed mode, also remotely, if required changes could be introduced with respect to previous statements, in line with the planned programme. 

The planned activities concern practical exercises, laboratory tests, guided tours, in-depth seminars, group work. If the teaching is given in a mixed or remote way, the necessary changes with respect to what has been declared may be introduced, in order to comply with the planned program.

To guarantee equal opportunities and in compliance with the laws in force, interested students can ask for a personal interview in order to plan any compensatory and / or dispensatory measures, based on the didactic objectives and specific needs. For this purpose, it is also possible to contact the CInAP (Center for Active and Participatory Inclusion - Services for Disabilities and / or SLDs) of our Department, Prof. Anna De Angelis.

Even if there are no prerequisites, the knowledge of the biology of microorganisms is considered "useful" to better understand the contents of the teaching.

Microorganisms of biotechnological interest. Microorganisms as a "cell factory" for the production of goods and services. Research and development in industrial processes screening and optimization of production processes.  Environmental issues and applications of microorganisms to protect the environment. Genetic improvement of microorganisms used in food industry. Development of microbial starters for the optimization of food fermentation.  Basic concepts of bacterial genetics and effects of recent discoveries on the development of biotechnology.

Contribution of teaching to the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In particular, during the course, the issues related to the use of microorganisms as a strategy for achieving Goal 2: eradicate hunger in the world, achieve food security, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture will be explored.

The lecturer provides the materials through the STUDIUM platform (studium.unict.it). For the study of the discipline, the student can consult any text in the field.  

Learning assessment takes place through an interview that may include the presentation and discussion of a technical group work. The relevance of the answers with respect to the questions asked, the quality of the contents, the ability to connect between program topics, the ability to report examples, the technical language properties and the overall expressive ability of the student are assessed. earning assessment may also be carried out online, should the conditions require it. To ensure equal opportunities and in compliance with current laws, interested students may request a personal interview in order to plan any compensatory and/or dispensatory measures based on educational objectives and specific needs. Students can also contact the CInAP (Centro per l’integrazione Attiva e Partecipata — Servizi per le Disabilità e/o i DSA) referring teacher within their department (https://www.cinap.unict.it/content/referenti).

The student's preparation will be evaluated based on the following criteria: level of knowledge and deepening of the topics, properties of language and exposure, and reasoning skills developed by the student.

The final mark will be the average of the votes obtained in the single module, according to the following structure:

Unsuitable

Topic knowledge and understanding: Significant deficiencies.

Significant inaccuracies

Analysis and synthesis skills: Irrelevant. Frequent generalizations. Inability to synthesize

Using references: Completely inappropriate

 

18-20

Topic knowledge and understanding: Threshold level. Obvious imperfections

Analysis and synthesis skills: Barely sufficient capacity

Using references: Just appropriate

 

21-23

Topic knowledge and understanding: Routine knowledge

Analysis and synthesis skills: capacity of correct analysis and synthesis. Argues logically and coherently

Using references: Use standard references

 

24-26

Topic knowledge and understanding: Good knowledge

Analysis and synthesis skills: Has good analytical and synthesis skills. Topics are expressed coherently

Using references: Use standard references

 

27-29

Topic knowledge and understanding: Detectable neat knowledge

Analysis and synthesis skills: Has remarkable analytical and synthesis skills

Using references: Has delved into the topics

 

30-30L

Topic knowledge and understanding: Evident general knowledge

Analysis and synthesis skills: Has remarkable analytical and synthesis skills

Using references: Significant insights

 

The exam consists of an oral test on the main mechanisms of genetic engineering and on laboratory exsperience. The oral exam is individual and involves the verification of the ability to reason and connect between the topics of the program and between the two modules of the integrated course.

Example of questions: genetic variability in bacteria; mutations; fluctuation tests; homothallism and heterothallism in Saccharomyces cerevisiae; operons; phages.