- Docente: Libero Gurrieri
- Credits: 3
- SSD: BIOS-02/A
- Language: Italian
- Teaching Mode: In-person learning (entirely or partially)
- Campus: Bologna
- Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Chemistry and Technology for the Valorization of Natural Substances (cod. 6252)
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from Oct 01, 2026 to Nov 19, 2026
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course, students will have a solid grounding in plant cell organization and compartmentalization, as well as plant tissue and organ structure. Building on this, they will understand plant metabolism and the relationship between primary and secondary metabolism, including the origin of organic carbon and its links to secondary metabolite biosynthesis. Students will become familiar with major classes of secondary metabolites and with proteins and enzymes as natural products. Through analysis of scientific articles, they will learn to contextualize natural product chemistry biologically, gaining critical tools to interpret how plant metabolism is regulated by endogenous and environmental factors.
Course contents
Plant cell basics: The cell, membranes, organelles, the cell wall. Compartmentalization with biological examples.
Organization of the plant: Tissues and organs with examples. An overview of specialized structures.
Plant metabolism: Concepts of metabolic pathway, flux, and regulation; redox and energy cofactors, primary and secondary metabolism. The origin of organic carbon in the plant and its connections to secondary metabolism. Classes of secondary metabolites. Proteins and enzymes as natural products.
Case studies: Review and discussion based on scientific articles in order to provide a biological context for the chemistry of certain natural products.
Readings/Bibliography
During the course, students will have access to teaching materials such as lecture slides and scientific review articles selected by the instructor. All materials are available on the University of Bologna's Virtuale platform, accessible with institutional credentials.
Teaching methods
Teaching will be delivered through lectures, with the possibility of in-class discussions on certain topics. Flipped classroom activities will also be introduced to explore topics related to the general subjects of the course.
Assessment methods
The exam will be an oral interview based on questions related to the course content, and will take into account the work done by the student in reviewing the scientific articles. Assessment will consider: knowledge of content (accurate and thorough understanding of the fundamental concepts covered in the course and the ability to connect the different topics addressed), analytical and synthesis skills (ability to identify the key points of a topic and to structure a clear and coherent argument), and presentation skills (clarity and organization in presenting content, communicative fluency, and argumentative ability).
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 ) 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.
Students recognized as “working students”: please consult the dedicated website (https://www.unibo.it/en/study/guide-to-choosing-your-programme/balancing-study-and-work ) to apply for this status and to learn about the available measures.
Teaching tools
The course will be held in classrooms equipped with PC projection. All lectures and seminars will be conducted using PowerPoint presentations. The PowerPoint files and supporting teaching materials for lectures and seminars (articles, reviews, bibliography, and websites) will be made available to students during the course and downloadable from Virtuale.
Office hours
See the website of Libero Gurrieri