Phd in CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY

Educational goals and objectives

CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY

The PhD course in Cell and Developmental Biology is an Innovative Doctoral Program that aims to provide students with a high-profile and highly interdisciplinary preparation, because it is based on widely diversified conceptual and methodological approaches, including: • subcellular and tissue compartmentalization studies; • in vitro cultures, organoids, 3D cell systems; • tissue engineering; • chemical genetics; • heterologous expression in bacterial and eukaryotic systems; • genetic transformation of cells and organisms; • biotechnologies applied to microorganisms and eukaryotic cells; • biochemical and molecular studies; • "omics" studies (transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, glycomics, interactomics, etc.); • genomics and metagenomics of microbial communities; • genome editing and assisted evolution in model species; • microscopy, immunocytochemistry, electron microscopy and live cell imaging; • structural biology. The general topics addressed include: • biology of model systems (microorganisms, fruit flies, mice and plants); • 3D and 4D studies of cells and tissues; • organization, function and regulation of cellular compartments and communication between sub-cellular structures; • dynamics of the genetic control of cellular processes; • mechanisms of perception and transduction of endogenous and exogenous signals in microorganisms, animal and plant cells; • identification and development of antimicrobial compounds; • study of microbial communities associated with humans, plants and materials; • intra- and extracellular communication mechanisms; • role of post-translational modifications in the regulation of cellular functions; • metabolic pathways: subcellular, cellular and subcellular compartmentalization and regulatory mechanisms; • DNA damage and repair; • determinants of cell differentiation; • cellular processes in development and disease; • molecular oncology; • models of human diseases; • stem cell biology; • biology of microorganisms (including viruses) and their interactions with host cells; • mechanisms of immunity; • translational cellular science in the biomedical, environmental, industrial fields. This PhD course aims to provide PhD students with a basic preparation to address research issues in the various areas of cell biology, also with a view to applying knowledge to problems of relevance to the agro-food sector, health of man, and the environment. Internationalization is an intrinsic feature of this PhD course, which intends to train independent scientific operators capable of entering basic and applied research in the public and private, national and international fields.