08956 - Clinical Biochemistry

Learning outcomes

The student, at the end of the module, thanks to the knowledge of the fundamental principles of chemistry and organic molecules of biological interest, is able to evaluate biological and biochemical parameters in biological samples and in vivo, also in relation to pathophysiological states, at different levels of structural organization, from single molecules to cells, tissues, organs, up to the whole organism.

Course contents

• Biomarkers: definition and types; development and validation of biomarkers; sources of variability in laboratory investigations; performance of a test.
  
• Precision medicine: definitions; role of biomarkers in precision medicine; molecular diagnostics techniques and their applications; next-generation sequencing.
  
• Epigenetics: principles; epigenetic biomarkers.
• Liquid biopsy: biomarkers based on circulating nucleic acids.

Readings/Bibliography

• Teaching materials in pdf
• Further reading: M. Ciaccio e G. Lippi, Biochimica Clinica e Medicina di Laboratorio, EDISES

Teaching methods

Lectures with powerpoint presentations

Assessment methods

Student learning will be checked at the end of the course through a written test. The overall knowledge will be assessed using a written exam structured as multiple-choice questions. The exam will be held in presence using personal computers.

The exam is composed by 33 questions. Each valid answer grants 1 point. The student needs to reach 18 points to pass the exam. The number of correct answers corresponds to the final mark, if the number is greater or equal to 31 the mark will be 30 cum laude.

Students are required to know their institutional credentials to sustain the exam.

Students with specific requirements are invited to contact professor Manuela Ferracin in advance.

Teaching tools

Power point presentations.

Office hours

See the website of Maria Giulia Bacalini