FOOD BIOTECHNOLOGY
- Overview
- Assessment methods
- Learning objectives
- Contents
- Bibliography
- Delivery method
- Teaching methods
- Contacts/Info
Basic knowledge of general biochemistry and related subjects (physics, inorganic and organic chemistry), cellular organization, biology of living organisms, and microbiology.
Food biochemistry and Nutrition modules.
The exam aim at evaluating the abilities achieved by the student in relation to:
1. knowledge and understanding of the theoretical bases of nutrition and ability to link the various aspects in the argument;
2. ability to apply the acquired knowledge to grasp the interconnections between diet and the different metabolic cycles and autonomously discuss the problems of energy and material metabolism regulation. Ability to extract information from a text and to identify critical aspects.
Written exam: the student will be asked to use the knowledge related to the program in a written test organized in three open questions concerning: two the module of Food Biochemistry, one the module of Nutrition. The outcome of the exam will be in thirties.
Food Biotechnology Module
Student learning of the Food Biotecnology module, will be tested through a written exam focused on all the subjects covered. The exam will consist of three open questions: one for the parts A and C and two for part B of the teaching program. The outcome of the exam will be in thirtieths.
The overall grade (vote) of the course will be the arithmetic sum of the votes of the three modules. The exam is passed if the student has obtained a score:
• greater than or equal to 9 in the exam on the Food Biochemistry and Nutrition modules
• greater than or equal to 9 in the exam of Food Biotechnology module.
Both conditions must be met to pass the exam. Students who have obtained a grade of 9 or higher only in one of the two modules will have to repeat the exam of the other module in one of the subsequent exam appeals.
The teaching module of Nutritional Biochemistry (2 CFUs) intends to present in detail the role of proteins in determining the properties of food (both from the nutritional point of view and the safety of use) and the main structural, compositional and functional modifications to which they undergo during domestic and industrial processing or during transit in the human body.
The Nutrition module (1 CFU) intends to present the molecular mechanisms that regulate the feeding-fasting cycle and the role of the main components of the diet.
These two teaching modules represent a useful path for those who want in the future to deepen nutritional aspects and related sciences that are designed to correlate the single components present in the food with the set of biological processes and pathological states. In fact, foods play different roles: from the plastic function to the reserve function, from the modulation of the cellular signals to the immunological response, to the protection from oxidative stress.
The teaching module of Food Biotechnology (3 CFUs) intends to provide students with basic knowledge on the production processes of a number of foods and on the wide variety of applications of biotecnologies in "food supply chain". The student is expected to acquire knowledge of the biological and biotechnological basics of the most common modern technologies that are applied to the production, transformation and preservation of foods as well as knowledge of the physical and chemical factors that determine the quality of food. Students will also acquire knowledge of the analytical methods that are used in the analysis of different foods with the aim to guarantee a high qualitative level of such products. Students are also expected to acquire ability to research and find the best biotechnological solutions for food traceability and quality improvement.
The Nutritional Biochemistry module (BIO/10) will be taught through in-class lectures and 2 laboratories. The lectures will address the following subjects:
- structure-function relationships in food proteins and interactions with non-protein components;
- structural modifications of food proteins;
- protein allergens and bioactive components of protein origin.
The two practical laboratory activities will concern the controlled denaturation of food proteins and the determination of lactose in foods.
The Nutrition module (BIO/10) is organized in lectures that will address the following subjects:
- The diet: regulation of the feeding-fast cycle
- Vitamins and minerals
- Pathological states
- Particular functions of foods (antioxidants, alcohol, xenobiotics).
The Food Biotechnology module (AGR/20) will be taught through in-class lectures that will address the following subjects:
A) General information on biotechnologies and their use in the food sector
- Traditional and modern biotechnologies for the production of bread and leavened products.
B) Use of biotechnologies for food production and / or transformation
- food categories that benefit most from biotechnology: beer, wine, cheese, oils and fats, food flavorings.
- fermentation processes used for the production and processing of nerve foods: coffee and chocolate.
C) Biotechnologies used for the production of food from farmed animals: the example of aquaculture.
Sturgeon breeding and caviar production.
- Learning material (text and powerpoint slide) available on the E-learning platform.
- Books:
For Food Biochemistry Module: Leuzzi, Bellocco, Barreca “Biochemistry of Nutrition” Zanichelli 2013
Food Biotechnology Module: Carmen Gigliotti e Roberto Verga, “Food Biotechnology” (Piccin).
- Research articles published in scientific journals of food science area.
- Independent searches on scientific websites
Modules will be taught through in-class lectures (5.5 CFU) and laboratories (0.5 CFU). PowerPoint slides with text and images to improve comprehension, will be extensively used during lectures. Educational videos will also be used to help students to attain additional information, and acquire new knowledge quickly and easily.
Students can meet with the professors in their office by previous email appointment. The professors will respond only to e-mails from the domain @ uninsubria.it. Professors will not respond to students who ask for confirmation of information that is already available - for example, confirmation of the exam date.
The professor. Pollegioni is available for in-depth meetings with groups of students.