Methods in Cell Biology, Morphological Analysis, Physiology and Biochemistry

The course aims to:
- provide adequate training in techniques for the growth, engineering, and manipulation of animal cells in vitro and their applications in the field of biotechnology,
- introduce the principles and applications of basic and advanced methods and approaches for studying biologically active molecules and biochemical and molecular processes, with particular emphasis on biotechnological strategies employed in modern biochemical and biomedical research,
- provide knowledge of the microscopic morphological organization of human body tissues and an understanding of how these tissues assemble to form major organs,
- to describe, at the molecular level, the structure-function relationship of transmembrane proteins forming ion channels by comparing their 3D structure and activity (ion transport), monitored using electrophysiological methods.,
- deepen, from a methodological perspective, the knowledge acquired in other disciplines of the study program (General and Cellular Biology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Physiology).
The theoretical component of the course contributes to strengthening fundamental knowledge at the molecular and cellular levels of living systems. Through laboratory, students can become familiar with the manipulation of cultured cells under sterile conditions, the use of basic biochemical, biomolecular, and anatomical-physiological techniques, as well as data processing and interpretation, in accordance with the professional profiles and career opportunities outlined in the overall training program.
Furthermore, the course provides knowledge for continuing studies in Master's degree programs in the biotechnological and biomedical fields.

At the end of the course, the student will have acquired both theoretical and practical knowledge of the main cellular, morphological, physiological, and biochemical methodologies used in research and analytical laboratories within the pharmaceutical and biomedical fields.
Specifically, the student will develop fundamental skills in the growth and manipulation of eukaryotic animal cells under sterile conditions and the ability to perform standard protocols for protein, lipid and nucleic acid analysis. Additionally, the student will be able to recognize tissues and organs based on their morphological characteristics and microscopic structure.
The student will also acquire the ability to measure the activity (currents) of ion channels using the patch-clamp electrophysiological technique and to analyse these currents to extract key biophysical parameters. These parameters will be correlated with the structure of the proteins. To this end, the student will learn to visualize and analyse the 3D structure of proteins using dedicated software.
Finally, the student will be able to apply the acquired knowledge to identify the most appropriate techniques or experimental approaches based on the specific context and critically analyse the results.