Students with foreign title must apply through the unique on-line form.

Previous academic experience
For foreign students, who should have some knowledge of the Italian language, there will be an evaluation of their current level of academic achievement, which will be relevant to the Master's degree. Industrial Biotechnology is a multi-disciplinary degree at the interface between biological sciences and chemistry, therefore the candidates should possess undergraduate-level knowledge of the following subjects:

Biochemistry

• Structure of biological macromolecules and their role in biochemical processes
• Structure and function of proteins together with keys concepts of enzymatic catalysis
• Principles of bioenergetics and metabolic pathways
• Basic methods for the purification and characterisation of proteins
• Basics of redox reactions and their characterisation
• Structure of prokaryotic as well as eukaryotic cells
• Basics of general microbiology

 Cellular Biology

• Protein targeting
• Principles of cellular communication and signal transduction
• Cell cycle regulation and apoptosis
• Cell culture techniques

 Molecular Biology

•  Structure of DNA and RNA
•  Replication, mutation and DNA repair
•  Transcription, RNA processing and protein synthesis
•  Principles of gene expression and regulation
•  Recombinant DNA
•  Genetic transmission e recombination
•  Genome structure

 Analytical Chemistry

• Basic knowledge of the partition equilibria between phases
• Principles of analytical methods currently in use, with particular reference to chromatographic, electrochemical and spectroscopic techniques

 Physical Chemistry

• Basic knowledge of thermodynamics
• Microscopic structure of materials
• Intermolecular interactions
• Chemical kinetics (activation energy, reaction order)
• Principles of molecular spectroscopy

 General and Inorganic Chemistry

• Chemical bonds
• Characteristics of solid state
• Reactions in aqueous medium: acid-base, precipitation, complex formation
• Spontaneity of chemical reactions

 Organic Chemistry

          Basic knowledge of the following reactions:

• Cracking, dehydration, alkylation and oxidation of saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons

 Mathematics

• Natural numbers, rational and real integers
• Functions with one or more variables
• Elements of differential and integral calculus with one or more variables
• Differential equations
• Elements of vector calculus
• Linear systems and matrices

The objective of the Master's degree in Industrial Biotechnology is to train students who, having acquired an excellent preparation in applied biochemistry, molecular biology together with analytical as well as applied chemistry, will be highly competitive in the job market in any field related to biotechnology.

Graduates in Industrial Biotechnology will acquire the following during their course:

- Research and scientific development and technological innovation in the application of biomolecules and/or micro-organisms together with synthetic material for the protection of human health and the environment (for example diagnostic kits, toxicological tests, also with respect to possible exposure to micro- and nanoscale particulates, nanobiotechnological devices for applications in the pharmaceutical and medical fields) or sustainable processes for the production of renewable energy;

- Management of production facilities in diagnostics, fermentation (pharmaceutical industries and agribusiness, chemical and energy), security and environmental recovery (bioremediation of water and soil), to name a few.

In addition, graduates in Industrial Biotechnology will have access to the PhD programmes offered world-wide in the fast growing area of biotechnology in order to further their academic careers.