Studying at the University of Verona

Here you can find information on the organisational aspects of the Programme, lecture timetables, learning activities and useful contact details for your time at the University, from enrolment to graduation.

Academic calendar

The academic calendar shows the deadlines and scheduled events that are relevant to students, teaching and technical-administrative staff of the University. Public holidays and University closures are also indicated. The academic year normally begins on 1 October each year and ends on 30 September of the following year.

Academic calendar

Course calendar

The Academic Calendar sets out the degree programme lecture and exam timetables, as well as the relevant university closure dates..

Definition of lesson periods
Period From To
I semestre Oct 1, 2019 Jan 31, 2020
II semestre Mar 2, 2020 Jun 12, 2020
Exam sessions
Session From To
Sessione invernale d'esame Feb 3, 2020 Feb 28, 2020
Sessione estiva d'esame Jun 15, 2020 Jul 31, 2020
Sessione autunnale d'esame Sep 1, 2020 Sep 30, 2020
Holidays
Period From To
Festa di Ognissanti Nov 1, 2019 Nov 1, 2019
Festa dell'Immacolata Dec 8, 2019 Dec 8, 2019
Vacanze di Natale Dec 23, 2019 Jan 6, 2020
Vacanze di Pasqua Apr 10, 2020 Apr 14, 2020
Festa della Liberazione Apr 25, 2020 Apr 25, 2020
Festa del lavoro May 1, 2020 May 1, 2020
Festa del Santo Patrono May 21, 2020 May 21, 2020
Festa della Repubblica Jun 2, 2020 Jun 2, 2020
Vacanze estive Aug 10, 2020 Aug 23, 2020

Exam calendar

Exam dates and rounds are managed by the relevant Science and Engineering Teaching and Student Services Unit.
To view all the exam sessions available, please use the Exam dashboard on ESSE3.
If you forgot your login details or have problems logging in, please contact the relevant IT HelpDesk, or check the login details recovery web page.

Exam calendar

Should you have any doubts or questions, please check the Enrollment FAQs

Academic staff

B C F L P R V Z

Ballottari Matteo

symbol email matteo.ballottari@univr.it symbol phone-number 045 802 7823

Bolzonella David

symbol email david.bolzonella@univr.it symbol phone-number 045 802 7965

Boscaini Maurizio

symbol email maurizio.boscaini@univr.it

Bossi Alessandra Maria

symbol email alessandramaria.bossi@univr.it symbol phone-number 0458027946

Chignola Roberto

symbol email roberto.chignola@univr.it symbol phone-number 045 802 7953

Fiammengo Roberto

symbol email roberto.fiammengo@univr.it symbol phone-number 0458027038

Frison Nicola

symbol email nicola.frison@univr.it symbol phone-number 045 802 7857

Furini Antonella

symbol email antonella.furini@univr.it symbol phone-number 045 802 7950; Lab: 045 802 7043

Fusco Salvatore

symbol email salvatore.fusco@univr.it symbol phone-number Office: +39 045 802 7954 Lab: +39 045 802 7086

Lampis Silvia

symbol email silvia.lampis@univr.it symbol phone-number 045 802 7095

Perduca Massimiliano

symbol email massimiliano.perduca@univr.it symbol phone-number +39 045 8027984

Rossato Marzia

symbol email marzia.rossato@univr.it symbol phone-number +39 045 802 7800
Foto personale,  July 18, 2012

Vallini Giovanni

symbol email giovanni.vallini@univr.it symbol phone-number 045 802 7098; studio dottorandi: 045 802 7095

Vitulo Nicola

symbol email nicola.vitulo@univr.it symbol phone-number 0458027982

Zaccone Claudio

symbol email claudio.zaccone@univr.it symbol phone-number +39 045 8027864

Study Plan

The Study Plan includes all modules, teaching and learning activities that each student will need to undertake during their time at the University.
Please select your Study Plan based on your enrollment year.

1° Year

ModulesCreditsTAFSSD
1 module between the following
1 module between the following
6
B
ING-IND/25
1 module between the following

2° Year  activated in the A.Y. 2020/2021

ModulesCreditsTAFSSD
1 module between the following
Training
3
F
-
Final exam
36
E
-
activated in the A.Y. 2020/2021
ModulesCreditsTAFSSD
1 module between the following
Training
3
F
-
Final exam
36
E
-
Modules Credits TAF SSD
Between the years: 1°- 2°
English B2 level
3
F
-
Between the years: 1°- 2°

Legend | Type of training activity (TTA)

TAF (Type of Educational Activity) All courses and activities are classified into different types of educational activities, indicated by a letter.




S Placements in companies, public or private institutions and professional associations

Teaching code

4S008292

Coordinator

Salvatore Fusco

Credits

6

Language

Italian

Scientific Disciplinary Sector (SSD)

BIO/10 - BIOCHEMISTRY

Period

II semestre dal Mar 2, 2020 al Jun 12, 2020.

Learning outcomes

The course aims at providing students with advanced knowledge in the field of biocatalysis and new-frontiers application of these abilities to solve biotechnological problems as well as to design and synthesize new molecules.

Program

1. Introduction to the course and general information on biocatalysis: General information on the concepts of bio-resources and eco-sustainability; Main characteristics of enzymes; Cofactors and coenzymes; Nomenclature and classification of enzymes; Isoenzymes, multienzyme systems and complexes.

 2. Principles of thermodynamics and kinetics of chemical reactions: Bioenergetics and Thermodynamics; Activation energy and transition state theory; Kinetics of chemical reactions; Rate ​​and order of reactions; Collision theory and the concept of fruitful collisions (Arrhenius equation); Factors that influence the reaction rate.
 
3. Principles of enzyme catalysis and kinetics: Catalytic power and binding energy; Examples of enzyme catalysis; Determination and meaning of the initial velocity (v0); Michaelis-Menten equation; The meaning of the parameters of the M-M equation: Initial velocity (v0), maximum velocity (Vmax), constant of M-M (Km), number of turnover (kcat) and specificity constant (kcat / Km); Enzyme reactions with multiple substrates.

4. Mechanisms of reaction and regulation of the enzyme activity: Mechanism of reaction of chymotrypsin and application of pre-stationary state kinetics; Effect of pH on enzyme activity; Applications of the pH effect to study reaction mechanisms; Example of reaction mechanisms (aspartyl protease, hexokinase, enolase, lysozyme); Regulatory enzymes (allosteric enzymes), reversible covalent modifications and proteolysis (zymogens)

5. Linearizations of the M-M equation and enzymatic inhibition: Linear representations of the M-M equation: Lineweaver – Burk graphs (of the reciprocal doubles), Eadie – Hofstee and Hanes; Enzyme inhibition (reversible vs irreversible); Chemical agents that modify the enzymes irreversibly; Irreversible inhibitors: directed to the active site (Affinity Labels), suicide substrates (trojan horse) and Transition state analogues (Tight-Binding Inhibitors)

6. Effect of pH and temperature on enzymatic activity: pH dependence of reactions catalyzed by enzymes; Measuring the enzyme activity as a function of pH; Effect of pH on enzymatic activity in the presence of one or two ionizable groups; Dependence of kinetic constants as a function of pH; Van't Hoff and Arrhenius equations; How temperature-dependance activity and thermostability of enzymes are measured; The importance of the thermal stability for industrial applications.

7. Practical aspects of the study of enzymatic kinetics: Study of progression curves; Determination of initial velocity and enzyme units; Limitations on the measurement of the initial speed (dead time and stopped assays); Factors that influence the determination of enzyme activity (solvents, ionic strength, pH and temperature); Enzyme stability and storage methods.

8. Methods to measure enzyme activity (enzyme assays): UV/visible spectroscopy; spectrofluorimetry; Luminescence; Radioactivity; Direct and indirect enzyme assays; Coupled enzyme assays; Enzyme assays for diagnostics; Enzyme immunoassays; Continuous and discontinuous enzymatic assays.

9. Protein engineering and enzyme reactions in unconventional media: Protein engineering (principles and definitions); Chemical modifications; Genetic modifications: Rational design versus Directed evolution; Features of the screening methods;
-Rational design techniques: PCR with MegaPrimer, Whole plasmid PCR, Cassette mutagenesis, the Kunkel method, the QuikChange site-direct mutagenesis method;
- Directed evolution techniques: Error-Prone PCR, MEGAWHOP, Gene Assembly Mutagenesis, Mutator strains, random oligonucleotide-mediated mutagenesis, DNA Shuffling, DNA recombination by random priming, Staggered Extension Process, in vitro recombination methods (RACHITT, ITCHY, SCRATCHY, SHIPREC);
-Semi-rational design techniques: Structure-based combinatorial protein engineering (SCOPE) and SCHEMA structure-guided recombination;
- Enzyme reactions in unconventional mediums (medium engineering); enzymatic reactions in organic solvents; biphasic systems, co-solvents and pure organic solvents; other unconventional media (ionic liquids, supercritical fluids and eutectic mixtures).

10. Homogeneous and heterogeneous enzyme catalysis: Areas of application of homogeneous catalysis; Multienzyme systems (linear, parallel, orthogonal and cyclic enzyme cascades); Practical examples of enzyme cascades (production of perfumed chemical compounds, non-natural amino acids, plastic precursors, di-substituted pyrrolidine, D-phenylalanine derivatives); Heterogeneous catalysis (immobilised enzymes); Advantages and disadvantages of immobilisation; Supports for immobilisation; Immobilisation strategies (covalent, adsorption, entrapment and encapsulation); Carrier-less Immobilisation (CLECs and CLEAs); New frontiers of enzyme immobilisation: viral supports and nanoreactors.

11. Biocatalysis applied to plastics: Physicochemical properties that influence the degradability of plastics; Enzymes that hydrolyse plastic polymers (PET hydrolytic enzymes (PHEs)); Protein engineering to optimise PHEs; Ideonella sakaiensis as a model organism that metabolises PET plastic; Specific enzymes for the hydrolysis of PET (PETase); Lactic acid production from lignocellulosic biomass as a precursor to PLA bioplastics; use of lactic acid bacteria for the production of bioplastic; Pre-adaptation strategy to optimise lactic acid production.

12. The CRISPR-Cas system (principles and applications): CRISPR loci and cas genes; Mechanism of the CRISPR-Cas system; The three main types of CRISPR/Cas systems; Insights on the CRISPR/Cas9 system; Application of the CRISPR/Cas9 system for genome editing and protein engineering; Variants of the Cas9 endonuclease and their applications; the CRISPR/Cas9 system as a library screening tool for mutants generated by directed evolution.

13. Cytochromes P450, a family of promiscuous catalysts: Main features of cytochromes P450; The importance of catalytic promiscuity for the evolution of new enzymes; Types of reactions catalysed by cytochromes P450; Advantages and disadvantages of the use of P450 cytochromes; Main classes of cytochromes P450; The catalytic cycle of cytochromes P450; Uncoupling reactions; Engineering of cytochrome P450BM3 for hydroxylation of alkanes; Development of non-natural reactivity for the cycle-propanation of alkenes; The importance of axial ligand in cytochromes P450 for the development of non-natural reactivities.

During the course the lecturer will provide materials (book chapters, scientific articles and slides), which will be made available through the Moodle platform.

The topics shown are only indicative of the course's contents and may be subject to change by the teacher.

Reference texts
Author Title Publishing house Year ISBN Notes
Hans Bisswanger Practical Enzymology Wiley-Blackwell 2011

Examination Methods

The final assessment aims to verify the achievement of the "Learning Outcomes" related to the topics reported in the "Course syllabus".
The final assessment consists of an oral dissertation aimed at ascertaining both that the student has acquired the knowledge defined in the course syllabus as well as the ability to perform the required logical-deductive links. In particular, the completeness of the exposition, the level of integration between the various course topics as well as the scientific appropriateness of the language will be evaluated.
Furthermore, the achievement by the student of a global vision of the topics addressed in class (combined with their critical application), the ability to make connections and the use of an appropriate scientific language will be assessed with a mark of excellence.
The final assessment follows the same guidelines for both attending and non-attending students.

Students with disabilities or specific learning disorders (SLD), who intend to request the adaptation of the exam, must follow the instructions given HERE

Type D and Type F activities

I semestre From 10/1/19 To 1/31/20
years Modules TAF Teacher
Python programming language D Maurizio Boscaini (Coordinator)

Career prospects


Module/Programme news

News for students

There you will find information, resources and services useful during your time at the University (Student’s exam record, your study plan on ESSE3, Distance Learning courses, university email account, office forms, administrative procedures, etc.). You can log into MyUnivr with your GIA login details: only in this way will you be able to receive notification of all the notices from your teachers and your secretariat via email and soon also via the Univr app.

Graduation

Deadlines and administrative fulfilments

For deadlines, administrative fulfilments and notices on graduation sessions, please refer to the Graduation Sessions - Science and Engineering service.

Need to activate a thesis internship

For thesis-related internships, it is not always necessary to activate an internship through the Internship Office. For further information, please consult the dedicated document, which can be found in the 'Documents' section of the Internships and work orientation - Science e Engineering service.

Final examination regulations

List of theses and work experience proposals

theses proposals Research area
Valutazione dell'applicazione di nanoparticelle biogeniche per il controllo del cancro batterico del kiwi AGRICULTURE - AGRICULTURE
Valutazione dell'applicazione di nanoparticelle biogeniche per il controllo del cancro batterico del kiwi APPLICATIONS OF LIFE SCIENCES - APPLICATIONS OF LIFE SCIENCES
Valorizzazione di scarti agroindustriali mediante fermentazione termofila per la produzione di acidi organici come precursori chimici di polimeri Applied biotechnology (non-medical), bioreactors, applied microbiology - Applied biotechnology (non-medical), bioreactors, applied microbiology
Valutazione dell'applicazione di nanoparticelle biogeniche per il controllo del cancro batterico del kiwi Applied biotechnology (non-medical), bioreactors, applied microbiology - Applied biotechnology (non-medical), bioreactors, applied microbiology
Immobilizzazione di enzimi d’interesse industriale su nanoparticelle biomimetiche magnetiche Applied Life Sciences and Non-Medical Biotechnology: Applied plant and animal sciences; food sciences; forestry; industrial, environmental and non-medical biotechnologies, nanobiotechnology, bioengineering; synthetic and chemical biology; biomimetics; bioremediation - Biomimetics
Immobilizzazione di enzimi d’interesse industriale su nanoparticelle biomimetiche magnetiche Applied Life Sciences and Non-Medical Biotechnology: Applied plant and animal sciences; food sciences; forestry; industrial, environmental and non-medical biotechnologies, nanobiotechnology, bioengineering; synthetic and chemical biology; biomimetics; bioremediation - Non-medical biotechnology and genetic engineering (including transgenic organisms, recombinant proteins, biosensors, bioreactors, microbiology)
Immobilizzazione di enzimi d’interesse industriale su nanoparticelle biomimetiche magnetiche Chemical engineering, technical chemistry - Chemical engineering, technical chemistry
Effetto delle condizioni operative applicate al processo di digestione anaerobica su produzione di biogas e stabilità del carbonio organico del digestato Earth System Science: Physical geography, geology, geophysics, atmospheric sciences, oceanography, climatology, cryology, ecology, global environmental change, biogeochemical cycles, natural resources management - Biogeochemistry, biogeochemical cycles, environmental chemistry
Influenza dalla variazione stagionale del feedstock sulla produzione di biogas e sulla stabilità del carbonio organico presente nel digestato prodotto Earth System Science: Physical geography, geology, geophysics, atmospheric sciences, oceanography, climatology, cryology, ecology, global environmental change, biogeochemical cycles, natural resources management - Biogeochemistry, biogeochemical cycles, environmental chemistry
Studio dei pool di sostanza organica del suolo in permafrost antartici Earth System Science: Physical geography, geology, geophysics, atmospheric sciences, oceanography, climatology, cryology, ecology, global environmental change, biogeochemical cycles, natural resources management - Biogeochemistry, biogeochemical cycles, environmental chemistry
Valorizzazione di scarti agroindustriali mediante fermentazione termofila per la produzione di acidi organici come precursori chimici di polimeri Environmental biotechnology, bioremediation, biodegradation - Environmental biotechnology, bioremediation, biodegradation
Bilanci di massa e di materia in digestori anaerobici alimentati con residui agricoli e zootecnici. Products and Processes Engineering: Product design, process design and control, construction methods, civil engineering, energy processes, material engineering - Chemical engineering, technical chemistry
Studio della composizione chimica e della stabilità termica di poliidrossialcanoati ottenuti da diverse matrici ambientali. Products and Processes Engineering: Product design, process design and control, construction methods, civil engineering, energy processes, material engineering - Chemical engineering, technical chemistry
Valorizzazione di scarti agroindustriali mediante fermentazione termofila per la produzione di acidi organici come precursori chimici di polimeri Products and Processes Engineering: Product design, process design and control, construction methods, civil engineering, energy processes, material engineering - Chemical engineering, technical chemistry
Immobilizzazione di enzimi d’interesse industriale su nanoparticelle biomimetiche magnetiche Products and Processes Engineering: Product design, process design and control, construction methods, civil engineering, energy processes, material engineering - Materials engineering (metals, ceramics, polymers, composites, etc.)
Valorizzazione di scarti agroindustriali mediante fermentazione termofila per la produzione di acidi organici come precursori chimici di polimeri Products and Processes Engineering: Product design, process design and control, construction methods, civil engineering, energy processes, material engineering - Production technology, process engineering
Studio delle proprietà di luminescenza di lantanidi in matrici proteiche Synthetic Chemistry and Materials: Materials synthesis, structure-properties relations, functional and advanced materials, molecular architecture, organic chemistry - Colloid chemistry
Multifunctional organic-inorganic hybrid nanomaterials for applications in Biotechnology and Green Chemistry Synthetic Chemistry and Materials: Materials synthesis, structure-properties relations, functional and advanced materials, molecular architecture, organic chemistry - New materials: oxides, alloys, composite, organic-inorganic hybrid, nanoparticles

Attendance

As stated in the Teaching Regulations for the A.Y. 2022/2023, attendance is not mandatory. However, professors may require students to attend lectures for a minimum of hours in order to be able to take the module exam, in which case the methods that will be used to check attendance will be explained at the beginning of the module. 
 


Career management


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Erasmus+ and other experiences abroad