Biomolecular Methods Laboratory

The program related to Genetics is aimed to illustrate the main methods used for the extraction and purification of nucleic acids, including genomic DNA, plasmid DNA and RNA. Moreover, the principles and procedures of PCR, RT-PCR and qRT-PCR assays are explained. The traditional methods of DNA sequencing, such as Sanger-Coulson and Maxam-Gilbert are discussed together with the Next-Generation sequencing approaches starting from the Solexa-Illumina, going through Ion current Ion 530 and Pacific Biosciences, to most the recent Oxford Nanopore Minion methods.
The program related to Biochemistry will deal on strategies for protein expression in heterologous systems, spectroscopic techniques (absorbance and fluorescence), protein electrophoresis (SDS and Native PAGE and isoelectrofocusing), protein purification by chromatographic techniques, antibody structure and function and antibody-based techniques (western blot, Elisa).
The program related to Molecular and Cellular Biology will deal with the methodologies used to introduce foreign nucleic acids in bacteria (transformation) as well as in cell cultures (transfection) and animal models (transgenic) and how to create a particular gene deletion (knock-out) or in animal models.