Advanced molecular biology

The last 10 years have seen a revolution in the possibility to study the regulation of DNA metabolism at the single cell and single molecule level in live cells. Sophisticated technologies allow us to quantify movements, interactions and dynamics of the actors impacting on genome biology. The course of Advanced Molecular Biology aims at providing advanced understanding of the mechanisms that regulate cellular processes in complex organisms in health and disease. In particular, mechanisms controlling cell division, proliferation and quiescence are integrated with processes required to maintain the integrity of the genome; on the other hand, cell plasticity and adaptation are required for cellular homeostasis and response to environment. The input comes from the genome; genome structure and function maintain cell identity and regulate transcription through a plethora of different and integrated epigenetic mechanisms. Genome integrity, transcription, tridimensional organization and compartmentalization in the nuclear space are quantitative and dynamic parameters that, occurring at single cell level, govern tissue organization and specialization. These topics will be discussed in model organism and in mammalian cells, with a particular focus on human pathologies, especially cancer, linked to alterations in the molecular mechanisms of these processes. Students will also become familiar with advanced approaches in molecular biology and cutting edge biophysical methodologies to obtain quantitative data on proteins-proteins, protein-DNA interactions, reversible post-translational modifications, nucleic acid processing.

After this course, the student will be: -familiar with the mechanisms underlying cell proliferation, differentiation and its regulatory circuits -experts in key transcriptional networks that control cell growth, proliferation, DNA repair and their alteration in cancer -familiar with the molecular mechanisms responsible for preserving genome integrity and their role in counteracting tumorigenesis -familiar with the epigenetic layers that define a specific epigenome and their possible alteration in diseases -experts in the methodologies and cutting-edge technologies to study single molecules and their interactions, and to interpret protein networks involved in cancer -able to critically evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of model systems to study molecular processes - design the best experimental strategies to answer a specific scientific question; - critically evaluate hypotheses and working models.