Molecular Biology, Medicinal Chemistry and Computer Science for Pharmaceutical Applications

The Fundamentals of Biophysics course provides students with basic biophysics knowledge aligned with the latest scientific and technological developments in modern medicine. The goal is to understand the fundamental principles of biophysics that underlie biomedical phenomena and new spectroscopic methodologies, while promoting an interdisciplinary perspective that integrates physical laws and concepts as applied to biology and medicine. The course is organized into the following modules: Part I (6 hours) – Fundamentals of physics: electric and magnetic fields, electromagnetic waves, geometric optics. Molecular interactions: covalent bonding, electrostatic, and van der Waals interactions. Part II (6 hours) – Thermodynamics applied to biological systems: internal energy, free energy, reaction kinetics, energy associated with electromagnetic radiation. Part III (12 hours) – Biological polymers: structure and function of nucleic acids (DNA, RNA) and proteins; protein folding mechanisms. Part IV (6 hours) – Energy in living systems: energy metabolism, photosynthesis, ATP production. Study of biomembranes, nerve signal transmission, memory function, biomechanics, and hearing. Part V (10 hours) – Techniques and methodologies: introduction to X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, optical microscopy, and UV-Vis spectroscopy. Part VI (8 hours) – Nanomaterials for drug delivery: plasmonic and organic nanoparticles, nanoparticle functionalization, photosensitive nanoparticles, and controlled drug release mechanisms.