Recalls of inorganic and organic chemistry –Chemical bonds. Carbohydrates – structure and function. Lipids – structure and function. Nucleotides, Purines and pyrimidines – structure and function. Amino acids – structure and function. Peptide bond and its characteristics. Peptides of biological relevance. Proteins – structure and function. Classification. Primary structure. Secondary structures: alfa-helix, beta-strand, collagen helix. Tertiary structure. Quaternary structure. Relationship between primary structure and conformation. Denaturation and renaturation. Protein folding. Protein misfolding and related pathologies – β-amyloid, Alzheimer’s disease. Fibrous proteins. Globular proteins. Hemoproteins involved in the transport of gases (O2, CO2). The heme group. Tridimensional structures of myoglobin and hemoglobin. Mechanism of oxygen binding to myoglobin and hemoglobin. Oxygen affinity. Saturation curves, Bohr effect, cooperativity, Hill plot, homotropic and heterotropic interactions. The effect of 2,3-DPG. The Monod-Wyman and Changeux (MWC) model and the sequential model. T and R states. Heterogeneity of circulating hemoglobin. Methemoglobin reductase, reduced glutathione (GSH) and NADPH for the maintenance of hemoglobin functions. Deficit of G-6-PDH, oxidation of hemoglobin, malaria. Hemoglobinopathies. Enzymes – Classification. Coenzymes and vitamins. Avitaminosis and related pathologies. Enzymatic catalysis and regulation. The Michaelis-Menten equation. Km, Vmax, turnover number, Kcat/Km. Reversible and irreversible inhibition. Multimeric enzymes and allosteric regulation. Multi-enzymatic complexes. Regulation of enzymatic activity. Isoenzymes. Introduction to metabolism – general organization. Understanding pathways and metabolic maps. Catabolism and anabolism. Bioenergetic. Energetically relevant molecules. Use of biochemical energy within the cell. Examples of regulation of metabolic sequences. Glucose as the fuel for energy production. The glucose transporter family – GLUT. Hormonal control of glucose metabolism. The biochemical reactions of glycolysis – Regulation of glycolysis. Glycolysis and cancer diagnosis – PET – Warburg effect. Reactions of the pentose phosphate shunt and its biochemical importance. Degradation of glycogen – glycogen phosphorylase and its hormonal control. Gluconeogenesis and other carbohydrate biosynthetic pathways. Lactic fermentation and alcoholic fermentation. Anaerobic metabolism. Mechanism of pyruvate oxidation – the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. Reactions of the citric acid cycle – Regulation of the cycle. Oxidative phosphorylation – The mitochondrion as the energetic plant of the cell. The scale of redox potential of biologically relevant molecules. The machinery for the electron transport: structure and function of the complexes I, II, III and IV. The sulphur-iron centers. The Q-cycle in the complex III. The electrochemical potential in electron transport. Oxygen utilization. The ATP synthase: structure and mechanism of action. The stoichiometry of electron transport, proton transport, oxygen consumption and ATP production. Brief introduction to mitochondrial dysfunction – the Mitochondrial Quality Control network in the control of mitochondrial dynamics (fusion, fission and mitophagy); mitochondria as generator of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The intrinsic pathway of apoptosis. ROS, oxidative stress, antioxidants and nutrition. Absorption and transport of dietary lipids. Activation of lipolysis and transport of free fatty acids. Activation and transport of free fatty acids in mitochondria. The role of carnitine. The beta-oxidation reactions. Ketogenesis. Synthesis of fatty acids – Regulation of fatty acids metabolism. The biosynthesis of phospholipids. Cholesterol metabolism Transamination and transdeamination of amino acids. Selected examples of amino acid bio-transformations: production of dopamine, adrenaline and noradrenaline from tyrosine; arginine as the source of nitric oxide. The urea cycle. Degradation of nucleotides. Catabolism of purines and pyrimidines and related pathologies –Lesch-Nyhan syndrome, Adenosine deaminase deficiency. Degradation of heme: structure and function of biliary salts. Bioenergetics and regulation of fuel metabolism – energy metabolism disorders.

• David L. Nelson; Michael M. Cox. “Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry” Seventh Edition – 2017. W. H. Freeman
• Voet D, Voet JG, Pratt CW. “Principles of Biochemistry (international student version)” IV edition – John Wiley and Sons Inc.
• Christopher K. Mathews , Van Holde, K. E. “Biochemistry” IV edition –2012. Pearson.

Recalls of inorganic and organic chemistry –Chemical bonds. Carbohydrates – structure and function. Lipids – structure and function. Nucleotides, Purines and pyrimidines – structure and function. Amino acids – structure and function. Peptide bond and its characteristics. Peptides of biological relevance. Proteins – structure and function. Classification. Primary structure. Secondary structures: alfa-helix, beta-strand, collagen helix. Tertiary structure. Quaternary structure. Relationship between primary structure and conformation. Denaturation and renaturation. Protein folding. Protein misfolding and related pathologies – β-amyloid, Alzheimer’s disease. Fibrous proteins. Globular proteins. Hemoproteins involved in the transport of gases (O2, CO2). The heme group. Tridimensional structures of myoglobin and hemoglobin. Mechanism of oxygen binding to myoglobin and hemoglobin. Oxygen affinity. Saturation curves, Bohr effect, cooperativity, Hill plot, homotropic and heterotropic interactions. The effect of 2,3-DPG. The Monod-Wyman and Changeux (MWC) model and the sequential model. T and R states. Heterogeneity of circulating hemoglobin. Methemoglobin reductase, reduced glutathione (GSH) and NADPH for the maintenance of hemoglobin functions. Deficit of G-6-PDH, oxidation of hemoglobin, malaria. Hemoglobinopathies. Enzymes – Classification. Coenzymes and vitamins. Avitaminosis and related pathologies. Enzymatic catalysis and regulation. The Michaelis-Menten equation. Km, Vmax, turnover number, Kcat/Km. Reversible and irreversible inhibition. Multimeric enzymes and allosteric regulation. Multi-enzymatic complexes. Regulation of enzymatic activity. Isoenzymes. Introduction to metabolism – general organization. Understanding pathways and metabolic maps. Catabolism and anabolism. Bioenergetic. Energetically relevant molecules. Use of biochemical energy within the cell. Examples of regulation of metabolic sequences. Glucose as the fuel for energy production. The glucose transporter family – GLUT. Hormonal control of glucose metabolism. The biochemical reactions of glycolysis – Regulation of glycolysis. Glycolysis and cancer diagnosis – PET – Warburg effect. Reactions of the pentose phosphate shunt and its biochemical importance. Degradation of glycogen – glycogen phosphorylase and its hormonal control. Gluconeogenesis and other carbohydrate biosynthetic pathways. Lactic fermentation and alcoholic fermentation. Anaerobic metabolism. Mechanism of pyruvate oxidation – the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. Reactions of the citric acid cycle – Regulation of the cycle. Oxidative phosphorylation – The mitochondrion as the energetic plant of the cell. The scale of redox potential of biologically relevant molecules. The machinery for the electron transport: structure and function of the complexes I, II, III and IV. The sulphur-iron centers. The Q-cycle in the complex III. The electrochemical potential in electron transport. Oxygen utilization. The ATP synthase: structure and mechanism of action. The stoichiometry of electron transport, proton transport, oxygen consumption and ATP production. Brief introduction to mitochondrial dysfunction – the Mitochondrial Quality Control network in the control of mitochondrial dynamics (fusion, fission and mitophagy); mitochondria as generator of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The intrinsic pathway of apoptosis. ROS, oxidative stress, antioxidants and nutrition. Absorption and transport of dietary lipids. Activation of lipolysis and transport of free fatty acids. Activation and transport of free fatty acids in mitochondria. The role of carnitine. The beta-oxidation reactions. Ketogenesis. Synthesis of fatty acids – Regulation of fatty acids metabolism. The biosynthesis of phospholipids. Cholesterol metabolism Transamination and transdeamination of amino acids. Selected examples of amino acid bio-transformations: production of dopamine, adrenaline and noradrenaline from tyrosine; arginine as the source of nitric oxide. The urea cycle. Degradation of nucleotides. Catabolism of purines and pyrimidines and related pathologies –Lesch-Nyhan syndrome, Adenosine deaminase deficiency. Degradation of heme: structure and function of biliary salts. Bioenergetics and regulation of fuel metabolism – energy metabolism disorders.

• David L. Nelson; Michael M. Cox. “Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry” Seventh Edition – 2017. W. H. Freeman
• Voet D, Voet JG, Pratt CW. “Principles of Biochemistry (international student version)” IV edition – John Wiley and Sons Inc.
• Christopher K. Mathews , Van Holde, K. E. “Biochemistry” IV edition –2012. Pearson.

Structure and replication of DNA; genome and exome; genome organization: viruses, bacteria, eucariotic cells; genome alteration and mechanisms of evolution; mechanisms of DNA repair; control of gene expression: promoters and enhancers.
Structure and function of various RNA species; mRNA processing. Fundamentals of protein synthesis: translation initiation, elongation and termination; post-translational modifications.
Genome editing and gene therapy concepts, development and application of CRISPR/Cas9 technique.
DNA and RNA study methods: targeted enzymatic amplification and detection of nucleic acids; DNA sequencing, classical and high throughput next generation methods (NGS); use of sequencing for diagnostic, epidemiologic and forensic applications.

• WATSON James D , BAKER Tania A , BELL Stephen P , GANN Alexander , LEVINE Michael , LOSICK Richard Molecular Biology of the Gene (7th ed) COLD SPRING HARBOR LABORATORY PRESS
• Michael M. Cox, Jennifer Doudna, Michael O'Donnell. Molecular Biology: Principles and Practice ; W H Freeman & Co; 2 edition (16 March 2015)