Campus Ecotekne Pal. B - S.P. 6, Lecce - Monteroni - LECCE (LE)

The Course aims to train professionals with high knowledge of the most advanced biotechnological applications in the field of basic and applied biomedical research, including molecular diagnosis systems, cell and gene therapy, regenerative medicine, -omics technologies, strategies for the identification of new therapeutic molecular targets and for the development and production of drugs and bioactive molecules through biotechnologies, and nanobiotechnologies.

The Course is divided into two curricula:

• Biomedical -The curriculum aims to provide specific knowledge in functional human anatomy, cell physiology, bioproduction, human molecular pathology and molecular epidemiology.
• Nanobiotechnological - The curriculum aims to provide specific knowledge in applied physiology, physics applied to diagnosis and therapy, nanobiotechnologies, chemical-physical and analytical technologies applied to medicine, science and technology of biomaterials and tissue engineering. To favor the internationalization of the course, and a more effective integration of graduates in an international working context, several courses are taught in English.

Learning Areas: Cellular and Molecular Biotechnologies - Biomedicine - Nanobiotechnologies - Bioengineering and Tissue Engineering.

Unlimited access.

Quota reserved to non-EU students residing outside Italy: 6 places. The admission to the Master’s Degree Programme is permitted after passing an oral exam (in the form of an interview). An ad hoc Committee, made of teachers of the Master’s Degree Programme, will evaluate the student’s previous career (first level degree course), knowledge and experience.

Access to the Master’s Degree Course in Medical Biotechnology and Nanobiotechnology is conditional on the possession of a Bachelor’s Degree in Biotechnology or other classes, or other qualification obtained abroad and recognized as suitable according to current legislation, provided that the student has achieved a minimum number of credits in a set of scientific-disciplinary sectors explicitly indicated in the Course Regulations. Students can acquire the missing credits by registering for single courses as indicated in the same Regulations.

A good (upper intermediate level) knowledge of the English language is also required.

Graduates will be able to perform professional roles in specific areas of research, development, production and services in public and private organizations or companies operating in the sectors of biomedical technologies, cellular and molecular biotechnologies and nanobiotechnologies. Graduates will have the skills for the promotion and development of scientific and technological innovation and for technology transfer, and will be able to manage and design new biotechnological methodologies in biomedicine, pharmaceuticals, regenerative medicine, fermentation and bioproduction, as well as to deal with consultancy activities for organizations or companies. The main employment opportunities are in the following areas:

• diagnostic, through the management of molecular analysis technologies, biotechnologies and nanotechnologies in the medical, legal, toxicological, reproductive, endocrinological fields, etc.;
• therapeutic, with particular regard to the development and testing of innovative pharmacological products (including gene therapy, cell therapy and nanobiotechnologies) for the treatment of diseases, also thanks to the development of new strategies for large-scale bioproduction (including bioengineering of plants, yeasts and bacteria);
• experimentation in biomedicine, with particular reference to the use of biological models in vivo and in vitro to understand the pathogenesis of diseases and to develop new therapeutic tools, thanks to the use of molecular methods, cell systems, tissues and bioartificial organs, and transgenic animals;
• production and design in relation to bio-health and biomedicine patents.

Graduates will be able to access research doctorates, specialization schools and masters and post-graduate training courses including those for teaching in high schools. Finally, Graduates may participate in public competitions at hospitals and biomedical and health research institutes.

For a detailed description of the biotechnologist’s career opportunities, it is suggested to consult the websites https://www.biotecnologi.it/ and http://www.biotecnologi.org/.

The final exam ascertains the candidate has critical and communication skills, and abilities to tackle scientific problems with an adequate level of autonomy. It also allows the application of skills acquired during university training to experimental and laboratory work.

The Degree Thesis consists of a written report on an original research contribution or a theoretical, experimental and/or technological application, for the biotechnological solution of a problem of biomedicine and/or nanobiotechnology. The work has experimental-applicative nature. The topic is agreed with the supervisor, who follows the student in the preparation of the thesis work and in the drafting of the paper. The candidate’s disciplinary skills, autonomy and critical, expository and summary skills have to emerge from the final paper.

The final exam ends with the discussion of the thesis in a public session. From the discussion have to emerge the cultural and scientific maturity of the candidate, the ability to personally and independently elaborate the topic, the ability to frame the topic in the contexts of the transversal skills acquired and of national and international research, the ability communicate the topic.

1st year 2020/2021

• BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOMOLECULAR BIOTECHNOLOGIES 12 credits [BIOCHEMICAL BIOTECHNOLOGIES 6 credits + BIOMOLECULAR BIOTECHNOLOGIES 6 credits] - Compulsory course
• CELLULAR BIOTECHNOLOGIES (BIO/13) 9 credits - Compulsory (required) course
• BIOINORGANIC CHEMISTRY (CHIM/03) 6 credits - Compulsory (required) course
• BIOORGANIC CHEMISTRY (CHIM/06) 6 credits - Compulsory (required) course
• APPLIED PHARMACEUTICAL CHEMISTRY (CHIM/08) 6 credits - Compulsory (required) course
• ADVANCED GENETICS AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 12 credits [DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY (BIO/06) 6 credits + ADVANCED GENETICS (BIO/18) 6 credits] - Compulsory (required) course
• MICROBIAL BIOTECHNOLOGIES (BIO/19) 6 credits - Compulsory (required) course

2nd year 2021/2022 (Biomedical curriculum)

• FUNCTIONAL ANATOMY (BIO/16) 6 credits - Compulsory (required) course
• BIOPRODUCTION (BIO/01) 6 credits - Compulsory (required) course
• MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY (MED/42) 6 credits - Compulsory (required) course
• CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR PHYSIOLOGY AND PATHOLOGY 12 credits[CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR PHYSIOLOGY 6 credits + CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR PATHOLOGY 6 credits] - Compulsory (required) course
• FINAL EXAM (PROFIN_S) 24 credits - Compulsory (required) course
• STAGE (NN) 1 credits - Compulsory (required) course

2nd year 2022/2023 (Nanobiotechnological curriculum)

• APPLIED PHYSIOLOGY IN NANOSCIENCES (BIO/09) 12 credits [APPLIED PHYSIOLOGY I 6 credits + APPLIED PHYSIOLOGY II 6 credits] - Compulsory (required) course
• BIOANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY (CHIM/01) 6 credits - Elective (optional) course
• BIOMATERIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (ING-IND/22) 6 credits - Elective (optional) course
• BIOSENSORS AND LAB-ON-CHIP (FIS/01) 6 credits - Elective (optional) course
• BIOMEDICAL PHYSICS (FIS/07) 6 credits - Elective (optional) course
• NANOBIOTECHNOLOGIES FOR HUMAN HEALTH (FIS/03) 6 credits - Elective (optional) course
• PHYSICO-CHEMICAL METHODS FOR BIOTECHNOLOGIES (CHIM/02) 6 credits - Elective (optional) course
• TISSUE ENGINEERING (ING-IND/34) 6 credits - Elective (optional) course
• FINAL EXAM (PROFIN_S) 24 credits - Compulsory (required) course
• STAGE (NN) 1 credits - Compulsory (required) course

Academic coordinator: Tiziano Verri - tiziano.verri@unisalento.it

Staff coordinator: dr. Maria Rosaria Miglietta - mariarosaria.miglietta@unisalento.it