The programme

Overview

Vision of the course and training objectives (specific and transversal)

The doctorate in Molecular, Industrial and Environmental Biotechnology is an interdisciplinary doctoral course focused on basic and applied research relating to living beings and their use in the agro-industrial and environmental fields. In particular, the doctoral course in Biotechnology studies the genetic, proteomic, metabolic and physiological characteristics of different living beings and their interaction with the external environment. The various issues relating to the biological, chemical, agricultural and engineering areas are therefore addressed in order to develop basic research in the biotechnological field, which is then used as a driving force for the implementation of applied research in the industrial field and in terms of environmental sustainability.

The PhD in Biotechnology provides the doctoral student with:

  • the skills, both theoretical and experimental, necessary for biotechnological training;
  • the directions and motivations necessary so that the investigative efforts are also directed towards application problems relevant both for methodological and industrial purposes or of relevance for public health and/or the environment.

In particular, the doctoral course in Molecular, Industrial and Environmental Biotechnology aims to acquire the theoretical bases and methodological knowledge to carry out research activities in the field of various sectors of biotechnological sciences, involving chemical, biochemical, physiological, genetic, microbiological disciplines. , bioinformatics and engineering. Specifically, the main areas of investigation concern the exploration of the structure, function and regulation of the genome of microbial, plant and animal organisms, including humans; the development of models to evaluate the effects of interactions between environmental factors and genetic factors; the study of the structure/function relationship of macromolecules of biological interest; the study of the structure and function of proteins for the understanding of biological processes, also through the application of bioinformatic and biophysical methods; the development of applications and the analysis of the regulation of the proteome of living organisms; the analysis of the metabolome of different organisms and the use of biomolecules for industrial purposes; the development of innovative biotechnological processes through the use of plants and microorganisms; processes for the production of bio-energy and bio-fuels both from photosynthetic organisms and from civil and industrial waste; the characterization of the response of microbial and plant organisms to environmental factors with the aim of improving their productivity and resistance to stress as well as their use in remediation processes; the study of soil carbon sequestration mechanisms in a climate change scenario, and the sustainable use of waste biomass in agricultural soils

Outgoing professional profiles and employment opportunities

The PhD in Industrial and Environmental Molecular Biotechnology trains professional figures destined in the first instance to independently carry out research activities in the various scientific-cultural areas covered by the course. The PhD in Industrial and Environmental Molecular Biotechnology is suitable for inclusion in a university career and in public and private research centers where basic and applied biotechnological research is conducted, as well as for inclusion in many other work fields which, given the multi -disciplinarity of the Doctorate, include a wide variety of typologies, such as consultancy and technology transfer activities. The expected employment opportunities concern both the continuation of scientific research activity in the academic field and the inclusion in corporate realities with jobs related to their training path

Research infrastructures and services available to doctoral students

Doctoral students have access to the following infrastructures:

  • Equipment and/or Laboratories - Platform for transcriptomic and genomic analysis, NMR Spectroscopy Laboratory, Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Laboratory, Photosynthesis Laboratory, X-ray Biocrystallography Laboratory, Functional Genomics Laboratory, Biochemistry Laboratory, In vitro culture laboratory , Radioisotope Laboratory, Molecular Biology Laboratory, Plant Pathology Laboratory, 15 centrifuges 13 UV-VIS spectrophotometers, phytotrons for plant growth, 1 greenhouse, sonicators
  • Book heritage - The Meneghetti Library makes available 2,000 magazines in paper format relating to the biomedical, scientific and technological fields;
  • Online resources - Approximately 20,000 subscription magazines and more than 30,000 free magazines are available in digital format, with online access. Free access is also available to the resources present in the databases Pubmed, Journal Citation Report, ISI web of Science, Scimago, Swissprot, Protein data bank
  • Software specifically relevant to the envisaged research sectors - The Biotechnology department, home of the doctorate, has an advanced IT system. The individual research groups also have remote IT resources relating to specific projects (protein structural engineering, NMR, genomes, etc.).
  • Spaces and resources for doctoral students and for electronic computing - doctoral students have access to dedicated spaces in the Department of Biotechnology. Access via credentials to the university network with computing stations available at the Department of Biotechnology is also provided; specific computing resources are also available for protein modeling and for genome sequencing and transcriptional analysis


Faculty Board of PhD in Molecular, Industrial and Environmental Biotechnologies

Coordinator
Guzzo Flavia
Type of body
PhD committee
Department
Biotecnologie
Records and documents present in the year:

May 13, 2024

April 12, 2024

March 28, 2024

March 11, 2024

QA Board of PhD in Molecular, Industrial and Environmental Biotechnologies

Coordinator
Guzzo Flavia
Type of body
Quality Assurance Board
Department
Biotecnologie
Tasks

Further information on MYUNIVR

Flavia Guzzo
QA Manager
Alessandra Astegno
member
Anita Zamboni
member
Davide Canini
PhD student representative
Carmine Carratore
PhD student representative
Leonardo Vanzo
PhD student representative
Records and documents present in the year:

The Italian University system

schema_qualita

First-cycle degrees: Bachelor’s degree programme

First-cycle degrees are aimed at enabling students to achieve a command of general scientific methods and content, and to acquire specific professional knowledge.
Admission requirements: secondary school diploma after completing 13 years of study in total and passing the relevant State examination, or equivalent foreign qualification; admission may be subject to further assessment.
Duration: three years.
Graduation: in order to obtain the degree, it is necessary to gain at least 180 CFU; doing an internship and preparing a dissertation/thesis may also be required. Upon completion of a Bachelor’s degree, graduates may continue their studies by enrolling in a Master’s degree or other second-cycle degree programmes and courses.
Academic title: upon completion of a Bachelor’s degree (Laurea), graduates are awarded the title of “Dottore”.

Second-cycle degrees: Master’s degree

Second-cycle degrees aim to provide students with an advanced training and knowledge to take on highly-skilled roles.
Admission requirements: applicants must hold a Bachelor’s degree, or a foreign equivalent qualification; curricular admission requirements for each course may vary depending on each University.
Duration: two years.
Graduation: in order to obtain the degree, it is necessary to gain at least 120 CFU, as well as preparing and presenting a dissertation/thesis.
Academic title: upon completion of a Master’s degree (Laurea Magistrale), graduates are awarded the title of “Dottore magistrale”. Single cycle/Combined Bachelor+Master’s degrees
Some courses (Medicine and Surgery, Veterinary Medicine, Dentistry and Dental Prosthetics, Pharmacy and Industrial Pharmacy, Architecture and Building Engineering-Architecture, Law, Primary Education) are offered as Single cycle/Combined Bachelor+Master’s degrees (Corsi di Laurea Magistrale a Ciclo Unico).
Admission requirements: applicants must hold a secondary school diploma or equivalent foreign qualification; admission is subject to passing an admission test.
Duration: five years (six years and 360 CFU for Medicine and Surgery, and Dentistry and Dental Prosthetics).
Graduation: in order to obtain the degree, it is necessary to gain at least 300 CFU, as well as preparing and presenting a dissertation/thesis. Upon completion of a Single-cycle degree, graduates may continue their studies by applying for a PhD programme (Dottorato di Ricerca) or other third-cycle courses.
Academic title: upon completion of a Master’s degree (Laurea Magistrale), graduates are awarded the title of “Dottore magistrale”.

Third-cycle degrees

PhD programmes: these courses enable students to gain reliable methodologies for advanced scientific research through innovative methodologies and new technologies, and generally include internships abroad and lab activities at research laboratories. Graduates wishing to apply for a PhD programme must have a Master’s degree (or a foreign equivalent qualification) and pass an open competition; PhD programmes have a minimum duration of three years. In order to complete the programme, students must produce a research thesis/dissertation and present it at a final examination.
Academic title: upon completion of a PhD programme, students are awarded the title of “Dottore di ricerca”, or “PhD”.
Postgraduate specialisation courses: these are third-cycle courses aimed at enabling students to develop advanced knowledge and highly-specialised skills, such as in the medical, clinical and surgical fields. To be admitted to these courses, applicants must have a Master’s degree (or a foreign equivalent qualification) and pass an open competition. Postgraduate specialisation courses may last from two (120 CFU) to 6 years (360 CFU) depending on the type. Academic title: upon completion of this programme, graduates are awarded a “Diploma di Specializzazione”.

Professional Master’s programme

1st-level Professional Master’s programmes: these courses enable students to further enhance their scientific knowledge and professional skills. In order to apply, applicants must have a Bachelor’s degree, or foreign equivalent qualification. The minimum duration is one year (60 CFU). Please note that completing this course will not provide you with direct access to a PhD programme (Dottorato di Ricerca), or other third-cycle courses, as these courses are run and managed by each University at the local level. Upon completion of this programme, students are awarded a “Master universitario di primo livello”.
2nd-level Professional Master’s programmes: these courses enable students to further enhance their scientific knowledge and professional skills. In order to apply, applicants must have a Master’s degree, or foreign equivalent qualification. The minimum duration is one year (60 CFU). Please note that completing this course will not provide you with direct access to a PhD programme (Dottorato di Ricerca), or other third-cycle courses, as these courses are run and managed by each University at the local level. Upon completion of this programme, students are awarded a “Master universitario di secondo livello”.

Other useful things

Crediti Formativi Universitari (CFU/ECTS credits): Italian university courses are based on the CFU system. 1 CFU is equal to 25 hours of study. The average annual academic workload for a full-time student is generally assumed to be 60 CFU. CFU and ECTS credits serve the same purpose and generally have the same value.
Degree class: Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes that have the same learning objectives and activities are grouped into “degree classes". The educational content of each programme is set autonomously by each university; however, universities are required to include certain educational activities (and the corresponding number of CFU credits) set at the national level. These requirements are established in relation to each degree class. Degrees in the same class have the same legal value.
Double/Joint degrees: the Italian universities may establish degree programmes in partnership with other Italian or foreign universities. Upon completion of these courses, graduates are awarded a joint or double/multiple degree, one from each Partner University.