- Docente: Iris Aloisi
- Credits: 6
- SSD: BIOS-01/A
- Language: Italian
- Teaching Mode: In-person learning (entirely or partially)
- Campus: Bologna
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Corso:
Second cycle degree programme (LM) in
Biodiversity and Evolution (cod. 6771)
Also valid for Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Sciences and Management of Nature (cod. 6774)
Learning outcomes
The course is aimed at studying the uses of plants in the nutraceutical, food and environmental fields.The various levels of plant biodiversity and their relationships with the abiotic environment will be interpreted both in a biotechnological key, according to the ability of plants to produce metabolites that contribute to human and environmental well-being, and in the perspective of environmental sustainability, deepening the current problems of aerobiology and phytoremediation and dissecting the most current plant-based green strategies. The most recent applications of biotechnologies that use plant species and cell cultures as "bio farms" will also be discussed.
Course contents
Primary and specialized plant metabolites: chemical characteristics, biosynthesis, localization, and biological functions. The role of sugars, lipids, and storage proteins in plant adaptation and human nutrition. Major classes of specialized metabolites (terpenes and terpenoids, alkaloids, and phenolic compounds) and their involvement in defence against pathogens and herbivores, protection from environmental stresses, allelopathy, and interactions with pollinators and other organisms.
The importance of plant metabolites for humans and their applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and industrial sectors. Plant-derived bioactive compounds, natural dyes, biopolymers, and biodegradable materials. Plant proteins of nutritional interest, allergenicity, and coeliac disease.
Plant biotechnology applied to the production of metabolites and proteins of interest: plant cell, tissue, and organ cultures, root cultures, genetic transformation, and the use of bioreactors. Strategies to increase the production of bioactive compounds and overcome limitations related to cultivation and the availability of plant resources.
Proteins as allergens and aerobiology: pollen structure and biological function, major allergen and panallergen families, mechanisms underlying allergic responses, and cross-reactivity. Principles of aerobiology, pollen monitoring, and the effects of environmental factors, air pollution, and climate change on pollen production, dispersal, and allergenicity.
Domestication and improvement of cultivated plants: selection of agronomic traits, reduction of toxic metabolites, the Green Revolution, and its effects on genetic diversity and crop adaptation. The environmental impact of agriculture in terms of pollution and resource use. Plant responses to pollutants and applications in environmental remediation. Uptake, transport, chelation, compartmentalization, and accumulation of heavy metals and other contaminants. Main phytoremediation strategies: phytodegradation, phytovolatilization, phytostabilization, and phytoextraction.
Hemp (Cannabis sativa) as an integrated case study: domestication and adaptation, secretory structures, specialized metabolites, food, pharmaceutical, and industrial applications, fibre and biopolymer production, phytoremediation potential, and allergological aspects.
Readings/Bibliography
Scientific papers and reviews
Teaching methods
Lectures, seminars, and computer exercises.
Assessment methods
The student will be assessed on each of the areas covered by the educational activity. Assessment will take place through an oral examination aimed at evaluating the knowledge acquired during the course, the appropriate use of language and specific terminology, as well as the ability to summarise and engage in critical discussion.
During the oral examination, the use of auxiliary tools, including AI-based tools, is not permitted.
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
Slides of the lectures, scientific articles and experimental protocols used during laboratory activities will be shared with the students by means of dedicated tools (e.g. Virtuale).
Office hours
See the website of Iris Aloisi