08956 - Clinical Biochemistry

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, the student will acquire principles underlying the assessment of the functional status of organs and tissues by means of laboratory investigations on biological fluids and biopsies.

Course contents

• Course contents:
• Course introduction
• Laboratory medicine: the pre-analytical, analytical and post-analytical phases
  
• Performance of a laboratory test: sensitivity, specificity, predicting values, ROC curves, clinical validation.
  
• In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Device Regulation (IVDR)
• Personalized medicine: new diagnostic and bioinformatic approaches that provide understanding of the molecular basis of disease and stratify related patients
• The assessment of diagnostic, prognostic and predictive tests with examples from new assays based on Next Generation and nanopore Sequencing
• Glioma diagnostics following the WHO 2021: a paradigm for an accurate classification following the rule of clinical reasoning
• Epigenetics: Principles and Practice
• The use of genetic and epigenetic biomarkers in oncology, aging and neurological disorders
  
• Tumor heterogeneity and single cell sequencing
• Liquid biopsy: assessment of tumour progression or neurodegenerative disease through DNA/RNA biomarkers from plasma, csf, saliva, urine
  
• Bioinformatic tools in Clinical molecular biology and next generation DNA sequencing

Readings/Bibliography

Files will be provided by IOL platform (.pdf slides, video, reference papers)

Teaching methods

Lectures.

www.quizizz.com platform to verify learning activities

Assessment methods

Final evaluation will be performed by means of a joint test on all topics covered in the integrated course. For Clinical Biochemistry the topics are: performance of laboratory tests; personalized medicine; Next Generation DNA Sequencing; tumor heterogeneity; liquid biopsy. The test will be based on oral examination with four questions concerning the four modules. The final score will be the weighted average calculated from the four answers provided.

Graduation of the final grade

Insufficient: lack of preparation. Serious and repeated conceptual errors.

18-19: knowledge of the basic concepts without serious gaps. Exposition of concepts and language as a whole acceptable.

20-24: knowledge of the basic concepts without gaps. Ability to analyze and link in partial autonomy. Exposure of discrete concepts and language.

25-29: preparation of good or very good level or even excellent preparation but with inaccuracies in the presentation that compromise the achievement of full marks. Ability to analyze and link independently. Exposure of concepts in the right succession and mastery of the language.

30-30L: full preparation, consolidated and without inaccuracies on the topics covered in the course. Ability to promptly frame the topic. Ability to analyze and connect independently. Concepts in the right succession and full command of the specific language.

Students with learning disorders and\or temporary or permanent disabilities: please, contact the office responsible (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students) as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, taking into account the teaching objectives.

 

Teaching tools

Power point presentations, video, assessment tests using .quizizz platform

Office hours

See the website of Luca Morandi