Molecular diagnostics

This course is based on molecular diagnostics including the study of the most relevant concepts regulating collection and specimen handling in laboratory medicine.
The aim of the course is to describe the principles of clinical management and identify the most relevant diagnostic tests to promote differential diagnosis in routine clinical practice, and perform the correct laboratory tests to exclude/confirm the diagnosis. Beside that, an overview of basic concepts of specimen collection and storage, quality control and, more specifically, of the methodologies utilized in laboratory medicine to monitor enzymes, proteins, antibodies, bacteria and viruses and of methodologies for their phenotypic and genotypic detection. Furthermore, methodologies for histopathological assessment of biomarkers in cancer tissues and in pre and post-natal imprinting disorders will be introduced.

Aim of this course is to make the students more confident with the tests performed in laboratory medicine.