Food and Industrial Biotechnology

The teaching provides for 64 hours (8 Credits) of lectures, organized in 5 didatiche units, and 12 hours (1 credit) of laboratory activities. 1st Unit - Prokaryotic cell and plant eukaryote cell (20 hours) Prokaryotes: bacteria in the biogeochemical cycles of sulphur and nitrogen. Photosynthetic bacteria. Plant cytology: compartmentalization in the eucariotic plant cell. Mitosis and cytokinesis. Cytoskeleton. Middle lamella and plasmodesmata. Cell wall. Plastids and their conversion. Chloroplast structure and functions. Vacuole and its roles. Thallus and corm: organization and specialization. 2nd Unit - description of the fungi kingdom and plant divisions (28 hours) Fungi: Cytology, metabolism, and reproduction of Zygomycetes, Ascomycetes and Basidiomycetes. Roles in the ecosystem, and biotechnological applications. Algae: Cytology in the main phyla, metabolism, and biotechnological applications. Life in contact with air: adaptation in bryophytes and cormophytes. Water balance. Origin of the vascular system. Bryophytes: cytology, organization of the gametophyte and the sporophyte. Role as bioindicators. Tracheophytes: histology of tissues and organs. Primary meristems: apical and lateral meristems. Roles of the primary meristems in plant growth and development. Root, Stem and Leaves: anatomical structure and functions. Caulogenesis and adventitious rooting and biotechnological applications. Vascular Cryptogams: morpho-anatomy. Spermatophytes: ovule and seed formation in Gymnosperms and Angiosperms. Secondary meristems: vascular and cork cambia and their activities. The secondary vascular structure in the stem and the root of Gymnosperms and Angiosperms. Wood and cork in biotechnology. Gymnosperms: vegetative organs and reproduction in conifers. Pollen: evolutionary appearance and role in the sexual reproduction of Gymnosperms and Angiosperms. Angiosperms: morpo-functional features of vegetative and reproductive organs. 3rd Unit - Interactions between organisms (2 hours) Symbiosis: antagonism and mutualism in symbiosis. Mycorrhizae and their roles in plant development. Structure and functions of lichens. 4th Unit - Vegetative and sexual reproduction of plants (10 hours). Alternation of generation in plants, role of mitosis and meiosis and metagenetic cycles. Sexual and vegetative reproduction in algae. Sexual and vegetative reproduction in bryophyte. Sexual and vegetative reproduction in algae. Vegetative and sexual reproduction (isospory and heterospory) in vascular plants. Sexual and vegetative reproduction in Spermatophyte. Micropropagation. Pollen: appearance and role in sexual reproduction of Gymnosperms and Angiosperms. 5th Unit - Flower (4 hours) Flower: ontogenesis. Stamen: microsporogenesis and microgametogenesis in the anther. Pistil: macrosporogenesis and macrogametogenesis in the ovule. Pollination. Double fertilization. Fruit: ontogenesis and tissue organization. Seed: embryo formation in the seed. Adventitious embryos, synthetic seeds and biotechnological applications. Taxonomy of the main families of agro-food plants-interest. Laboratory activities (12 hours) Methods in Plant Anatomy: Use of light microscope and stereomicroscopes. Microscopic observations of the prokaryotic and eukaryotic plant cell and of the structures that characterize the latter. Microscopic observations of algae and fungi. for tissue excision and observation of thallophytes and vascular plants. Cytological staining for organelle and cell wall detection. Histological procedures for the identification of tissues from different plant organs. Stereo-microscope observations of the flower and its structures.

The required prerequisites are related to the knowledge and skills acquired in the course of Cellular Biology.

J.D. Mauseth Botanica Botanica. Fondamenti di biologia delle piante. 2019 Editore Idelson Gnocchi.

Attendance at frontal lessons is not mandatory but strongly recommended. Attendance at laboratory lessons is mandatory.

An oral examination will be proposed at the end of oral and laboratory lessons. The examination aims is to verify the level of knowledge and in-depth analysis of the topics of the teaching program and reasoning skills developed by the student. The exam allows to verify the achievement of the objectives in terms of knowledge and skills acquired as well as communication skills. During the exam the level of knowledge reached will be evaluated, the property of language, the clarity of exposition and the critical capacity are also assessed.

The course is delivered in the traditional way with frontal lessons (8CFU) and laboratory exercises (1CFU).