Chemical Methods for Biotechnology

The course aims to provide students with the basics of i) analytical chemistry ii) physical chemistry iii) mass spectrometry iv) nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, to make students autonomous for the study of processes and reactions of biological interest. The course, appropriately accompanied by practical laboratory exercises, is dedicated to the acquisition of skills related to the most common basic and instrumental analytical (electroanalytical, spectroscopic, chromatographic, NMR and mass) techniques.

At the end of the course the student should be able to
- interpret analytical titration data (pHmetry, complexation, precipitation, redox);
- understand and apply the principles of conductivity, spectroscopy and chromatography, also in relation to laboratory experiences;
- understand and apply the principles of thermodynamics and both theoretical and practical aspects of chemical kinetics;
- comment and discuss equations and graphs presented in class
- interpret spectra and identify the structure of simple organic compounds starting from corresponding 1H and 13C NMR and MS spectra