BIOANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY

The course is part of the integrative activities of the master's degree program in Chemistry and Sustainable Technologies. The primary objective is to extend the students' skills from the purely chemical-analytical field to the chemical-bioanalytical field. In this course, advanced analytical methods and devices are analyzed for the analyzing molecules of biological and biomedical interest such as proteins and nucleic acids. The biological macromolecules will be presented both as analytes to be determined with appropriate methodologies, as well as reagents suitable for the selective and sustainable analysis of a large number of biological molecules. Starting from an overview of the most classic bioanalytical methods, the course will deal with innovative methods and devices such as enzymatic biosensors, immunosensors and DNA-chips. Particular attention will be put on the role that nanotechnologies play in this field.

1. Knowledge and understanding
i) Acquire knowledge on the relationships between molecular structure and methods of analysis of proteins and polynucleotides. ii) Acquire knowledge on the bases of enzymatic, immunochemical and nucleic acid hybridization analytical methods. iii) Understanding the innovative role that nanotechnologies and nanomaterials are playing in the field of bioanalytical chemistry.
2. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding
i) Understanding which methodologies should be used to prepare a reliable analytical biosensor. ii) Being able to evaluate which bioanalytical method is the most suitable to solve a specific bioanalytical problem.
3. Ability to judge
i) evaluate comparatively the effectiveness of different analytical strategies in terms of choice of of the most suitable method for qualitative and quantitative analysis of biomolecules. ii) develop critical skills in the evaluation of the bioanalytical performances of the studied methods.
4. Communication skills
i) Learning the correct use of the terminology of interest in the bioanalytical field. ii) Improve abilìity to communicate by images by preparing a brief power-point presentation on an topic chosen among those dealt with in the course. iii) Improve the oral communication skills by presenting and discussing with the other students and the teacher the power-point presentation referred to above.
5. Learning skills
i) demonstrate to have acquired knowledge on the topics covered by the teacher in class, completing the learning process through the consultation of bibliographic and electronic sources.

The student must be familiar with the basic concepts of both classical and instrumental analytical chemistry and biochemistry. Specifically, it is recommended to have passed the Advanced Analytical Techniques and Laboratory exam.

- Analytical chemistry of biological molecules.
- Biological molecules as analytical reagent.
- Enzymatic analysis by spectrophotometry.
- Immobilization of biomolecules: coupling between bioselective layers and analytical transducers.
- Electrochemical and optical biocatalytic sensors. First, second and third generation enzymatic biosensors.
- Immunochemical analysis and immunoassay RIA, EIA, ELISA. Immunosensors with label and label-free.
-Nucleotides, nucleosides, DNA, RNA. Denaturation, hybridization, intercalation. Analysis of nucleic acid sequence. DNA-Arrays and biochip.
-Micro and nanotechnology in bioanalyticalysis. Use of functionalized nanoparticles for protein analysis and nucleotide sequences
- Applicative examples of commercial biosensors.

Bioanalytical Chemistry, A. Manz, N. Pamme, D. Iossifidis, Imperial College Press, 2004.
Lecture notes.
Slides and lecture notes used by the teacher for the lectures can be downloaded from the “Moodle” platform, accessible from the university web-site.

Oral exam.
The oral exam consists of a series of questions to which the student must answer proving her/his knowldge and understanding of the topics covered by the course.
The property of language and the acquired ability to identify and critically evaluate the appropriateness of the studied bioanalytical techniques are evaluated.
The oral exam generally lasts approx. 30 minutes.

Teaching is organized in lectures. The learning of the theoretical principles underlying modern bioanalytical techniques is integrated with the visit of laboratories where some of the techniques discussed are applied.
Slides and lecture notes used by the teacher for the lessons is can be downloaded from the “Moodle” platform, accessible from the university web-site.

Italian

1. Sustainability. The use of biological molecules for analytical purposes is certainly more sustainable than classical methods of analysis since it allows:i) the drastic reduction of the use of toxic and polluting reagents,ii) the lowering of the volumes of both samples and reagents (and therefore reduction of the cost and problems related with waste disposal),iii) the use of mild operative conditions (atmospheric pressure and ambient or near-ambient temperature). Moreover, the use of low cost instrumentation allows the application of the here presented methodologies for improving the quality of health control in developing countries.
2. Accessibility, Disability and Inclusion. Accommodation and support services for students with disabilities and students with specific learning impairments:
Ca’ Foscari abides by Italian Law (Law 17/1999; Law 170/2010) regarding supportservices and accommodation available to students with disabilities. This includes students with mobility, visual, hearing and other disabilities (Law 17/1999), and specific learning impairments (Law 170/2010). In the case of disability or impairment that requires accommodations (i.e., alternate testing, readers, note takers or interpreters) please contact the Disability and Accessibility Offices in Student Services: disabilita@unive.it.

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This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Human capital, health, education" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development