Principles of spectroscopy and applications to quantitative biology

The course aims to equip students with a basic understanding of the following:
i) Principles and applications of the main instrumental analytical spectroscopic techniques
ii) Principles and applications of electron microscopy
iii) Principles and applications of Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy
iv) Principles and applications of Mass spectrometry

Through these topics, students will develop the skills necessary to independently solve common qualitative and quantitative problems. They will learn techniques for structural identification and description of chemical properties of both organic and biological molecules.

By the conclusion of the course, students will have acquired the following skills:
- ability to use the main spectroscopic analytical methods as well as several advanced and hyphenated techniques
- ability to use scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM)
- ability to solve some qualitative and quantitative analytical problems by choosing the most suitable instrumental technique
- ability of choosing and utilising the most suitable instrumental analytical atomic and molecular spectroscopic technique for the determination of unknown samples
- use of the most common calibration methods for quantitative determinations starting from the preparation of standard samples up to the processing of related data (also with spreadsheets)
- ability to analyse the spectra and to identify the structure of simple organic compounds and biomolecules through the study of their UV-visible, fluorescence, FTIR, Raman, Circular Dichroism, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, and mass spectra
Finally, the ability to work with a group of colleagues will be acquired.