Corso di Laurea in Scienze e tecnologie agrarie - STA

Knowledge and understanding
- Knowing the structure of macromolecules and genome
- Know the mechanisms and regulation of gene expression
- Know the main techniques of molecular biology
- Knowing molecular markers and their potential use
- Knowing genetic resources and their role in genetic improvement
- Knowing the concepts of origin and evolution of cultivated species
- Raise awareness of the problems of molecular biology and conservation of plant biodiversity, with particular reference to species of agricultural interest.

Applying knowledge and understanding
At the end of teaching students will be able to:
- Use databases: consultation, download DNA sequences from dedicated databases (GenBank on NCBI), - - Use software for designing specific primers (for PCR analysis)
- Use portals and websites related to germplasm conservation (i.e.: USDA, GRIN, ESCOnet)
- Consult scientific literature databases to download articles (PubMed on NCBI; Web of Science by ISI-Thompson)
- Perform simple operations and activities in the laboratory: 20 hours of laboratory exercises are planned during which students will process a sample each)

Making judgements
At the end of the teaching, students will be able to have a critical approach to the subject, particularly with regard to aspects related to the evaluation, management and exploitation of genetic variability.Communication skills
Teaching will also allow you to acquire or improve certain skills in the following fields:
- English language: reading a scientific article and the subsequent exhibition in the classroom
- Seminar activities: students will analyse a scientific article (in English) and present it orally (using the Power Point software).

2) Plant Biodiversity part
- Molecular markers and their application for germplasm characterization and varietal fingerprinting.
- Outlines on the main database and sequence formats; recovery of sequences from a primary database (GeneBank). 
- Primer design (with Primer3); 
- In silico design of microsatellite markers and SNPs (BatchPrimer3).
- Germplasm characterization, phylogenetic analyses and varietal fingerprinting.
- Origin and evolution of the cultivated species. 
- Plant Biodiversity
- Estimation of genetic variation and population structure. 

- At the beginning of each lesson the teacher will stimulate discussion with students on the topics covered in previous lessons with the aim to clarify any doubts and verify the state of learning in the class.
- Critical analysis of a scientific paper and oral presentation (group work).

Final exam
The final exam will be written and will be held on the Moodle teaching platform

The final exam will be written, will be held on the Moodle teaching platform and will allow to evaluate the general and specific knowledge acquired during the teaching and the competencies developed with regard to the genetic analyses performed on the PC (programme/database).

The test will have the following characteristics:
- the duration of the exam will be 30 minutes
- the test will consist of 31 questions
- the questions will be of the "closed answer" type (eg: multiple choice, cloze, numerical questions) or "short open answer"
- each question will be worth 1 point, for a total 31 points
- Wrong answers will not result in any penalty of score.

Final exam for students AA 21-22 and earlier (important)
The exam will be for all as reported for the academic year 22-23