60/71/1/1 - ENZYMOLOGY

Academic Year 2015/2016

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Objectives

The course provide advanced knowledge on the applications of enzymes in the industrial fields.
At the end of the course, the students should be able to discern practical conditions for enzyme application in several biotech fields.

Prerequisites

Strong basis of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry.

Contents

Enzymes: classification and kynetic: Ks, Km. Enzymatic rate. Enzymatic inhibition. Allosteric modulation.
Mechanism of interaction between enzymes and substrates/inhibitors/modulatos/coenzymes/cofactors. Effect of pH, temperature, organic solvents on enzymatic activity.
Determination of enzymatic activity.
Biotech applications of enzymes. Immobilization.
Main bioinformatic tools in enzymology.

Teaching Methods

48 hours of classroom lectures supplemented by slide projection; then laboratory practicals and computer training.

Verification of learning

Description:
Examination has the form of a colloquium.
Proficiency examination
1.1. Aims
1.2. Modes
1.3. Final decision
1.1. Aims
Examinations are aimed to a correct and unbiased evaluation of the preparation degree reached by students, i.e. the achievements of the formative targets required in the course.
1.2. Modes
The examination is an individual colloquium, also requiring the use of graphics, equations, schemes, flux diagrams. From general to particular, the student will move among basic concepts to proceed in depth within the topic.
1.3. Final judgement
The final grade takes into account several factors:
Quality of the knowledge, skills, competences:
a) appropriateness, accuracy and consistency of knowledge
b) appropriateness, accuracy and consistency of abilities
c) appropriateness, accuracy and consistency of ability to apply knowledge and understanding

Communication skills:
a) Ability of expression;
b) Proper use of the specific language of the discipline;
c) Logical skills and inherent consequentiality in communicating;
d) Ability to connect different subjects by finding the common points and establish a consistent overall design, i.e. taking care of structure, organization and logical connections of speech;
f) Ability to summarize also through the use of specific symbolism of each discipline and graphic expression of ideas and concepts, for example in form of formulas, schemes, equations.

Relational qualities:
Availability to exchange and interact with the teacher during the interview.

Personal qualities:
a) critical thinking;
b) ability of self-evaluation.


Consequently, the judgment can be:

a) Sufficient (from 18 to 20/30)
The candidate demonstrates little acquisition of theoretical knowledge, superficial level, many gaps. Modest communicative abilities, but still sufficient to support a coherent dialogue, logical capacity and consequentiality in fitting the subjects of elementary level; poor capacity of synthesis and rather stunted ability of graphical expression, scanty interaction with the teacher during the interview.

b) Moderate (21 to 23)
The applicant demonstrates a moderate acquisition of knowledge but lack of expatiation, a few gaps; communicative abilities more than sufficient to support a coherent dialogue; acceptable mastery of the scientific language, logical capacity and consequentiality in fitting the subjects of moderate complexity, good enough capacity of synthesis and acceptable ability of graphical expression.

c) Good (24 to 26)
The candidate demonstrates a rather large wealth of knowledge, moderate in-depth, with small gaps; satisfactory mastery of the communicative abilities and meaningful scientific language; dialogical ability and critical thinking well detectable, good capacity of synthesis and more than acceptable ability of graphical expression.

d) Outstanding (27 to 29)
The candidate demonstrates a very extensive wealth of notions, high in-depth, with marginal gaps; remarkable ability in communicating and high mastery of scientific language; remarkable dialogical capacity, good competence and relevant aptitude for logical synthesis, high capacity of synthesis and graphical expression.

e) Excellent (30)
The candidate demonstrates a wealth of very extensive and in-depth knowledge, irrelevant gaps, high capacity and high mastery in communicating through the scientific language; excellent dialogical ability and marked aptitude to make connections among different subjects, excellent ability to synthesize and very familiar with the graphical expression.

The praise is attributed to the candidates clearly above average, and whose notional, expressive, conceptual, logical limits, if any, as a whole are completely irrelevant.

Texts

 Verga & Pilone “Biochimica Industriale”, Springer, Milano
Bonaccorsi di Patti et al., “Metodologie Biochimiche”, Ambrosiana, Milano;
 De Marco e Cini “Principi di Metodologia Biochimica”, Piccin, Padova
 Ninfa e Ballou “Metodologie di base per la Biochimica e le Biotecnologie”, Zanichelli, Bologna
 Garrett e Grisham “Principi di Biochimica”, Piccin, Padova
 Voet, Voet & Pratt, “Fondamenti di biochimica”, Zanichelli, Bologna
 Voet, Voet & Pratt, “Biochemistry”, Wiley and sons
 Bonner & Hargreaves "Basic Bioscience Laboratory Techniques", Wiley and Sons

More Information

Powerpoint presentations, tests and laboratory guide are available at course web site.