PHARMACOGENOMICS

Course objectives

The aim of the course is to provide the basic knowledge of Pharmacogenomics from a cellular point of view and to investigate the molecular mechanisms that underlie the responses to drugs and therapies. Personalized medicine has become famous and it is applied for the choice of the right therapy for diseases. The examples provided highlight the developments obtained by this discipline and all its biotechnological applications. Specific training objectives are: in the introductory part: learn the fundamental concepts concerning the metabolism of molecules of pharmaceutical interest and of xenobiotic compounds. Understanding how the genetic variability of individuals influences the response to drugs, from the point of view of cellular-molecular mechanisms. Subsequently, the biotechnological aspects are presented in the fields of synthetic biology, production and research of biological drugs, the study of bacterial genomes for the discovery of new vaccines and the study of host-bacterium interaction. It is also presented the concepts of Biosafety and Biosecurity. Students will be able to know and understand: • the basic knowledge of pharmacogenomics and pharmacogenetics. • The study of the human genome. • how the human genome affects the adverse drug response. • Cellular mechanisms of response to anticancer drugs. • Biotechnology in the field of medical oncology. • the study of bacterial and viral genomes for the discovery of new vaccines. • Synthetic biology methodologies: synthetic genomes and molecule production. Students who take the exam will be able to: • critically analyze biotechnologies in the medical field. • Interpreting the cellular response to anticancer drugs in a general way based on genetic variability. • Interpret and evaluate the importance of bacterial and viral genomic sequences for biotechnology applications. • Identify new technologies that will reduce the use of animal models in clinical trials. • Evaluate the importance of biosafety and biosecurity.

Channel 1
TERESA RINALDI Lecturers' profile

Program - Frequency - Exams

Course program
The Pharmacogenomics course covers the following topics: Introduction to Pharmacogenomics, Adverse drug reactions and counterfeit drugs, Human genome sequencing, SNPs and implications in the study of diseases, Ethics, Genome wide association studies, Sequencing of tumour genomes, Driver mutations in tumours, Biological anticancer drugs, solid tumours, Monoclonal antibodies and small molecules, Multiple myeloma, Proteasomal inhibitors, CBRN biosecurity, Dual use in biological research, Bacillus, Bacillus biovar anthracis, Space station microbiota, Microbial forensics and pharmacogenomics, Protein folding and artificial intelligence in pharmacogenomics, Synthetic toxins and their use in pharmaceuticals, Antiobesity drugs, Monkeypox dissemination, Neurodegenerative diseases, Psychiatric diseases, Human microbiota, Microbiota and bacterial metabolism, Microbiota and diseases, Microbiota and drugs, Black biotechnology, Bioterrorism, Organs on a chip, Organoids and 3D bioprinting.
Prerequisites
basic knowledge in genetics and microbiology
Books
The lessons provided by the teacher in power point format are complete with all the necessary concepts and texts for the study, many of the topics covered are recently published and therefore not treated in textbooks. For further information students can read scientific books including: Synthetic Biology Safety, Security and promise. Gigi Kwik Gronvall 2016. Life at the speed of light. J. Craig Venter. 2013.
Teaching mode
The course is structured in frontal lessons. There are 48 hours of teaching (6 CFU). Classes are held weekly in the classroom with slides.
Frequency
Attendance at lectures is strongly recommended
Exam mode
The exam aims to verify the level of knowledge and of the topics and the skills developed by the student.The evaluation consists of an oral test. The overall exam allows to verify the achievement of the objectives in terms of knowledge and skills acquired as well as communication skills. In the oral test the language properties, the clarity of exposition and the critical capacity are also evaluated. The evaluation is expressed in thirtieths (minimum grade 18/30, maximum grade 30/30 with honors).
Lesson mode
The course is structured in frontal lessons. There are 48 hours of teaching (6 CFU). Classes are held weekly in the classroom with slides.
  • Lesson code1035093
  • Academic year2025/2026
  • CourseBiotechnology and Genomic for Industry and Environment
  • CurriculumSingle curriculum
  • Year2nd year
  • Semester1st semester
  • SSDCHIM/11
  • CFU6