Ateneo - UPO

Fundamentals of Microbiology module:
- Structure and function of the prokaryotic cell - Environmental effects on microbial growth - Nutritional requirements of bacteria
- Cultivation of bacteria in the laboratory
- Features of microbial metabolism
- Application of microorganism/environment interactions.
Fundamentals of Biochemistry Module:
Proteins - Lipids - Carbohydrates - Enzymes - Thermodynamic aspects of metabolism - Carbohydrate metabolism - Biological oxidation - Lipid metabolism - Amino acid metabolism - Nucleotide metabolism – Photosynthesis.
Applied Chemistry and Biotechnology:
Concepts, strategies and tools related to Green Food Processing.
Overview of food industry by-products.
Consolidated and innovative “green” technologies applied to food processing.

Fundamentals of Microbiology module:
- Brock Biology of Microorganisms, Global Edition, 16th edition - Michael T. Madigan Jennifer Aiyer, Daniel H. Buckley,W Matthew Sattley, David A. Stahl - Published by Pearson (November 26th 2021)
ISBN-13: 9781292405049
Applied Chemistry and Biotechnology:
-Farid Chemat Eugene Vorobiev. Green Food Processing Techniques. Preservation, Transformation and Extraction. Academic Press, 2019.
-Matteo Bordiga. Valorization of Wine Making By-Products. CRC Press, 2016.
- Matteo Bordiga & Leo M.L. Nollet. Food Aroma Evolution – During food processing, cooking, and aging. CRC Press, 2019.
The didactic material will be provided by the Professor at the beginning and during the course.

The main mission of the course will be: to generate a capacity for a global vision of metabolism as an integrated process in the cellular context in physiological conditions; to provide theoretical knowledge and understanding regarding the biology of microorganisms and their interactions with the environment, and finally to provide an overview of the current state and future prospects of green chemistry applied to food processing in consideration of sustainable development.
Finally, a further learning objective will be to achieve skills relating to the correct use of technical-scientific language, appropriate communication skills suitable for insertion in a work context characterized by high multidisciplinarity as well as knowledge of applications and repercussions of what has been learned in other scientific sectors.

Required background knowledge:
- Fondamenti di Chimica generale e inorganica
- Fondamenti di chimica organica e laboratorio

The Microbiology, Chemistry and Biotechnology course will take place through lectures. The professors of the individual modules will also organize group work, case studies, reading of scientific publications in English, classroom, tutoring actions aimed at assessing the level of learning achieved and developing ability to critically evaluate the knowledge acquired. Specific seminars may be organized in collaboration with lecturers and experts in the sector.
If the problems related to Covid-19 were to require it, the mode could undergo changes (e.g. streaming).

For the Fundamentals of Microbiology module the slides of the lectures and additional material are available on the website “Didattica in Rete”: https://www.dir.uniupo.it/
Applied Chemistry and Biotechnology: Considering the complexity of the issues and the considerable interest of industry and regulatory bodies in the topics of the course, the professor will try to deal with the case studies in a discursive way, deepening the most critical aspects relating to the issues, hoping for an interactive approach with the class. Questions or suggestions from students will be welcome, aimed at deepening the topics discussed in the classroom. The course foresees and requires students to study the topics through in-depth studies outside the scheduled teaching hours.

The exam of the course "Microbiology, Chemistry and Biotechnology” will consist of three written tests relating to the three teaching units (modules) carried out on the same day and will last 2 hours and 30 minutes. The final evaluation will take place in a collegial way and shared between all the professors of the individual modules.

Fundamentals of Microbiology module:
- Structure and function of the bacterial cell
- Microbial locomotion - The surface structures and intracellular inclusions.
-The structure of DNA and DNA replication
- Principles of molecular biology of microorganisms - Genetic of microorganisms
- Nutritional types of bacteria - Environmental effects on microbial growth
- Cultivation of microorganisms in the laboratory - Microbial growth -The microbial metabolism - Examples of microbial products and processes with low environmental impact - Renewable substrates for the growth of microorganisms and the production of metabolites of industrial interest.
Biochemistry: - Proteins: amino-acids: structure, properties, function. The peptide bonds. Structural organization of proteins: amino-acid sequence, secondary structures; overall structure: fold type; quaternary structure. The process of protein folding. Chaperonines. Oxygen transport. Myoglobin and Hemoglobin: structure and function; allostery and allosteric factors; hemoglobin variants; the theory of co-operativity: sequential model and concerted model - Lipids: structure, properties and functions - Carbohydrates: structure, properties and functions; glycoproteins - Enzymes: classification; coenzymes; Theory of catalysis; Enzyme kinetics; mechanisms of irreversible and reversible enzyme inhibition; regulation of enzyme activity; examples of enzyme catalysis (serine proteinases). -Basic thermodynamic concept in metabolism: phospho-compounds; ATP and the reaction of phosphorylation. Redox equilibrium in the biological systems: NAD(P) and FAD - Carbohydrates metabolism: Glycolysis. Fermentation. Glycogen degradation. Gluconeogenesis. Pyruvate oxidation and the citric cycle. - Biological oxidation: the respiratory chain: electron transport and oxidative phosphorylation. FoF1 ATP synthase. - Lipids metabolism: lipids transport and activation; fatty acids transport into mitochondria; the process of beta-oxidation: odd chain, saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. Ketone bodies. Fatty acids biosynthesis. Cholesterol biosynthesis. - Amino-acids metabolism. Oxidation of amino-acids and the urea cycle. - Nucleotides metabolism. Purine and pyrimidine synthesis. Synthesis of deoxyribonucleotides. Nucleotides degradation. – photosynthesis
Applied Chemistry and Biotechnology: Green Food Processing: concepts, strategies and tools; Food industry by-products; High hydrostatic pressure; High pressure homogenization; Microwave technology; Ultrasound technology for processing, storage and extraction; Pulsed electric field (PEF); Treatment with fluids under supercritical conditions (CO2); Ozone technology; Ionizing radiations; Cold plasma; Enzymes and bioreactors (industrial applications).

With this course the student will acquire theoretical knowledge and understanding skills related to the biology of microorganisms, microbial metabolism and metabolism in general, explained in terms of interconnection and regulation in the different metabolic pathways. Furthermore, the student will acquire skills on application-related issues relating to the main technologies for the development of sustainable microbial products and processes as well as advanced and specific knowledge relating to the so-called Green Chemistry technologies applied in the food sector.
Overall, these skills and knowledge will form the basis for understanding and correctly communicating within a widely multidisciplinary environment through the use of an appropriate technical-scientific language.