Research Strategies and Methodologies Applied to Disease Study and Control

The main objectives of the course are to provide student with information on the main traditional and advanced bio-molecular techniques to be applied both in the diagnostic (for the evaluation of the presence of a parasite) and in the epidemiological (for the study of the circulation of parasites in vectors, animals and in humans) fields. It is therefore planned to illustrate the qualitative and quantitative PCRs techniques to be applied in a parasitological context. The practical lessons will allow students to work in a molecular biology laboratory using molecular tools for parasitological diagnosis applicable both in the industrial field and in research institutes.
Students will also acquire knowledge relating to the generation, use and management of transgenic mice. It is also expected to provide the student with knowledge relating to the transformation of primary cells or cell lines. The course will provide students with information on the main molecular techniques for gene editing of mouse lines (transgenesis, gene targeting, Crispr/Cas9). The practical lessons will allow students to learn how to manage genetically modified mouse colonies using molecular tools for genotyping applicable both in the industrial field and in research institutes.

At the end of the course, students will have acquired in-depth knowledge on how to plan a parasitological diagnostic experiment using a molecular approach. Furthermore, students will have acquired the skills to design a research project, have the critical ability to the results obtained and resolve any technical problems arising from the analyses carried out.
Furthermore, at the end of the course, students will have acquired in-depth knowledge on how to plan in vivo and in vitro experiments with genetically modified mouse and cell models. This knowledge can be applied to the use of laboratory animals, in particular in the management of animal facilities, in the planning of experiments both in vivo and in vitro with mice or genetically modified cells, in the generation of new mouse or genetically modified cell lines, in the drafting of projects for ministerial authorization for the use of laboratory animals.