Synthetic Aspects in Biomolecules Preparation and Application of Biomolecules in Biological Systems Studies

Aim of the course is to provide students with integrated chemical and biochemical knowledge of the main classes of natural biomolecules and their analogues modified for chemical and biotechnological applications.
In Module 1 particular attention will therefore be devoted to the chemistry of peptides, nucleic acids, carbohydrates and their modified analogues. The main synthesis and purification strategies will be introduced, as well as the methodologies of study of conformational aspects using both the computational and spectroscopic techniques. The techniques for the study of the interactions between macromolecules giving rise to supramolecular assemblies and of the interactions between macromolecules and biological targets will be presented.
Module 2 will provide the knowledge of the principles correlated to the use of biomolecules (mainly biopolymers, such as nucleic acids and proteins, and lipids) in the study of biological systems and will illustrate methods applied to the prediction of the features and properties of biomolecules, in order to understand the functions of these in complex biological systems and their use as tools able to modulate and characterize the networks in which they are involved.
Moreover, the following Module will allow to acquire notions related to the development of technologies that, using living organisms or their components, allow to obtain therapeutically useful products.

After completion of course, the students should be able to understand the structure and function of the main important biological molecules, and their ability to coordinate with each other in biological systems; apply fundamental synthetic chemistry to biological molecules; understand the basic concepts of supramolecular assembly; acquire a basic knowledge in the field of peptide based nanomaterials; diagnostic and therapeutic applications of modified oligonucleotides and synthetic lipids; possess the ability to present their knowledge in a clear and orderly manner, with appropriate scientific language and with rigorous arguments.