Learning objectives
Learning the basic aspects of the main techniques in biological laboratory and their applications. Acquiring fundamental skills necessary for attending laboratory sessions during the final internship and for professional activities.
Prerequisites
For the completion of the course, it is mandatory to:
- have completed all the modules of the workplace safety course, the link and instructions for which, for those who have not already done it, will be available on the Elly portal
- enroll on Elly at the beginning of the course, where the certificates of completion of the workplace safety course must be submitted before the first practice session.
Course unit content
Theoretical introduction and practical implementation of the main procedures and basic techniques used in biological research laboratories: laboratory safety principles; preparation of solutions; use of micropipettes; microscopy; centrifugation; spectrophotometry; DNA amplification and digestion; protein and nucleic acid electrophoresis; chromatography; sterilization and microbiological cultures; mutant analysis; use of dichotomous keys for systematic classification in zoology; histological procedures for obtaining and staining thin sections of plants; assessment of decomposition rate and/or analysis of ecological data.
Full programme
The course consists of 9 practice sessions to be carried out over the two semesters:
Biochemistry I
Biochemistry II
Animal Biology
Molecular Biology
Botany
Ecology
Microbial Genetics I
Microbial Genetics II
Basic Laboratory Operations and Procedures
The instructors reserve the right to modify the number and content of the practical sessions in case of unforeseen needs. Additional information will be provided on the Elly page of the course prior to its commencement.
Bibliography
No textbooks adopted.
Teaching methods
The course is based on the completion of guided practice activities in teaching laboratories. Short lectures may also be delivered in person or online to introduce theoretical aspects of the different techniques.
The didactic material will be available on the Elly platform, on the course page. Each practice session will be conducted in multiple rounds, and each student will be assigned a specific round. Attendance is mandatory, and there will be no make-up practice sessions. Absence from a practical session due to illness or serious reasons must be justified.
Assessment methods and criteria
The course provides a judgment of suitability and not a grade. The suitability will be evaluated based on a 20-question multiple choice test relating to the practical sessions conducted, and it is considered passed with at least 12 correct answers. You are given 30 minutes for the test. Only those students who have completed all the practice sessions or for whom the absence is suitably justified as reported in the "Teaching Methods" section are admitted to the exam. Absence from three or more practice sessions precludes the possibility of taking the exam in all cases.
Other information
Students must come to the practical sessions with their own laboratory coat.
