Program Overview

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BIOORGANIC CHEMISTRY

Course Details

• CODE: 34001
• ACADEMIC YEAR: 2025/2026
• CREDITS: 4 cfu anno 3 CHIMICA E TECNOLOGIE CHIMICHE 8757 (L-27) - GENOVA
• SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINARY SECTOR: CHIM/06
• LANGUAGE: Italian
• TEACHING LOCATION: GENOVA
• SEMESTER: 2° Semester

Prerequisites

• Propedeuticità in ingresso: To take this exam, it is necessary to have taken the following exams:
  • Chemistry and Chemical Technologies 8757 (cohort 2023/2024)
  • Laboratory of Organic Chemistry
  • Organic Chemistry
  • Mathematical Institutions

Teaching Materials

• AULAWEB

OVERVIEW

In this course, interdisciplinary topics related to organic chemistry, biochemistry, and pharmaceutical chemistry will be explored.

AIMS AND CONTENT

Learning Outcomes

Provide a general idea of various aspects of organic chemistry related to biology, in particular concerning the structure and functioning of proteins (enzymes, receptors, ion channels) and oligosaccharides and their interactions with potential drugs.

Aims and Learning Outcomes

Learning Objectives (Details)

1. Know and be able to describe the structures of biomolecules (proteins and nucleic acids and carbohydrates).
2. Illustrate and discuss the mechanism of catalysis of the main classes of enzymes.
3. Know and understand the difference between the active ingredient of a drug, a lead compound, and a biologically active molecule.
4. Know the main biological targets of drugs.
5. Know and understand the different types of enzyme inhibition.
6. Predict the type of inhibition based on the molecular structure.
7. Know and understand the different types of drug-receptor interactions with related examples.

Aims

The students will be guided to approximately understand the issues associated with drug discovery and with the study of proteins and nucleic acids.

Prerequisites

The students should have already acquired the learning objectives of the fundamental courses of Organic Chemistry, in particular Organic Chemistry 1, Organic Chemistry 2, and Laboratory of Organic Chemistry.

Teaching Methods

The course includes 4 CFU, corresponding to 32 hours of traditional lessons. Attendance is not compulsory but will be monitored for statistical means.

Syllabus/Content

• Protein: secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structure
• Enzymes: kinetics, catalysis mechanism, examples, classification
• Nucleic acids: structure, RNA function
• Determination of primary structure
• PCR
• Topoisomers
• Genetic mutations
• Principle of drug discovery: Enzyme inhibitors, receptors, ion channels
• Glycochemistry
• Applications in the fields of antiviral, antitumor drugs, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, anti-asthma drugs, drugs for cardiovascular diseases, and so on

Recommended Reading/Bibliography

All the slides used during the lessons and any other teaching materials will be available on the page of this course. In addition, the Teacher suggests the following texts for those who wish to explore certain topics in more depth:

• Silverman, R.B., "The Organic Chemistry of Drug Design and Drug Action", Academic Press
• Corey, E.J., Czakó, B. Kürti, L., "Molecules and Medicines", Wiley

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

• LISA MONI

Exam Board

• LISA MONI (President)
• ANDREA BASSO
• LUCA BANFI (President Substitute)
• CHIARA LAMBRUSCHINI (Substitute)

LESSONS

Lessons Start

• March 3, 2026

Class Schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

Exam Description

The exam will be oral. Only the subjects treated during the lessons (as reported in the slides deposited in AULAWEB) will be the object of the exam. Students must register for the exam at least 48 hours in advance.

Assessment Methods

The oral exam is always carried out by the two teachers and will last at least 30 minutes. In this way, the commission is definitely able to verify with high accuracy if the student has reached or not the learning outcomes. During the oral exam, the student must demonstrate to have reached the learning outcomes, both orally and (most importantly) writing formulas, chemical equations, mechanisms.

Exam Schedule

• Data appello: 18/02/2026, Orario: 15:00, Luogo: GENOVA, Degree type: Orale
• Data appello: 20/05/2026, Orario: 15:00, Luogo: GENOVA, Degree type: Orale
• Data appello: 10/06/2026, Orario: 15:00, Luogo: GENOVA, Degree type: Orale
• Data appello: 15/07/2026, Orario: 15:00, Luogo: GENOVA, Degree type: Orale
• Data appello: 09/09/2026, Orario: 15:00, Luogo: GENOVA, Degree type: Orale
• Data appello: 30/09/2026, Orario: 15:00, Luogo: GENOVA, Degree type: Orale

Further Information

Students who have valid certification of physical or learning disabilities on file with the University and who wish to discuss possible accommodations or other circumstances regarding lectures, coursework, and exams, should speak both with the instructor and with Professor Sergio Di Domizio, the Department's disability liaison.

Agenda 2030 - Sustainable Development Goals

• Good health and well-being
• Quality education