Teaching code

4S011605

Credits

9

Coordinator

Simonetta Friso

Language

English

Courses Single

Not Authorized

Moodle Seminars 0

The teaching is organized as follows:

Learning objectives

The course provides to student the basics of omics sciences, including clinical proteomics, metabolomics, epigenomics, genomics, and transcriptomics, with a focus on application in clinical settings. The course aims to lead students 1) to the learning of strategies and techniques for the analysis of biological phenomena with a "global" approach (omics sciences) for the study of human diseases to identify pathways aimed at investigating aspects of scientific research that lead to the refinement of diagnostic and therapeutic pathways, 2) to the understanding of basic concepts for the application of omics sciences to precision medicine, 3) to the acquisition of skills for the design of ad hoc experiments for the quantitative analysis of biological/clinical phenotypes through high-definition omics and consequent approaches for data analysis. In addition, the course provides an understanding and use of the technologies and analytical tools that enable the production of data, in very large numbers and in the same time interval, useful for the description and interpretation of the biological system studied. Relevant diagnostic-functional aspects applied to precision medicine will be particularly emphasized. Teaching involves the integration of theory lectures, laboratory exercises, and work groups.
The course is structured in two distinct modules:
- the Clinical proteomics, metabolomics, and epigenomics module aims to provide to student the basics of proteomics, metabolomics, and epigenomics in the clinical field, illustrating scientific approaches and high-definition analytical tools for the production and analysis of high data sets in order to describe and interpret biological systems and disease states. The main objective of the course is to enable the student to apply the acquired knowledge to the understanding of the design of appropriate experimental approaches in relation to the scientific research addressed in order to obtain useful information to provide answers to clinical questions, with particular reference to the field of precision medicine. The teaching is also based on a participatory method involving the discussion of experiments from the scientific literature for the subsequent design of original experiments appropriate for providing answers to biological/clinical questions. The module also includes laboratory exercises during which students, in groups, will be able to conduct the scientific experiments, the results of which will then be analyzed, presented and discussed with other students and the lecturer.
- the Genomics and transcriptomics module illustrates concepts related to character inheritance as a function of gene and gene expression; enables the student to understand the basics of human genome variability and its link to gene structure and expression; and provides the key skills to handle and understand results from scanning or sequencing the genome and transcriptome in the individual or on large cohorts of individuals.
Upon completion of the course, the student will have acquired:
a) knowledge of the main omics sciences, their theoretical/practical foundations and possible applications in the field of precision and personalized medicine;
b) ability to critically apply the acquired knowledge to the design of an experimental approach based on omics sciences to answer biological/clinical questions;
c) ability to understand the clinical question underlying the required analyses and to design strategies for data analysis and critical interpretation;
d) ability to work in a team, to interpret the results of experimental analyses and to present them using a critical approach and appropriate scientific language.

Prerequisites and basic notions

The student will have to know the main elements of molecular and cellular biology as well as basic notions relating to general and cellular chemistry and biochemistry.

Bibliography

Learning assessment procedures

Clinical proteomics, metabolomics, and epigenomics module: the final examination consists of a written exam with multiple-choice questions, a written paper, and an oral test in which students, in groups, will present the results of laboratory activities. The examination mode is the same for nonattending and Erasmus students.
Genomics and transcriptomics module: the exam consists of an oral test with questions on the concepts learned during the theoretical lectures and a report on a genomics and/or transcriptomics project assigned to student groups. The examination mode is the same for non-attending and Erasmus students.

Evaluation criteria

To pass the exam, the student must demonstrate that he or she has fully achieved the pre-set learning objectives. The overall grade is the weighted average of the grades obtained in the two modules.
For the Clinical proteomics, metabolomics, and epigenomics module, the following will be assessed: knowledge of the topics covered in the lecture; the ability to make logical connections between the various topics covered and the appropriate use of scientific terminology/language; the ability to work in groups, the organization and writing of the scientific report, the in-depth study of the subjects covered, the critical approach and expository ability. The overall grade, in thirtieths, will be the average of the evaluation obtained in the two parts (written and paper/oral exposition of the laboratory activity).
For the Genomics and transcriptomics module, the ability to recognize and analyze different patterns of character transmission will be specifically assessed; the ability to evaluate the accuracy of the information obtained in relation to the methodology used; and the ability to critically and carefully analyze the results obtained from large-scale omics studies.

Criteria for the composition of the final grade

To pass the exam, the student will be required to demonstrate that they have fully achieved the set learning objectives. The overall mark is the weighted average of the marks obtained in the two modules of the integrated course.