Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore

MSc in Innovations in Biotechnology Applied to Regenerative Medicine

Total ECTS: 120

Year 1

The Revolution of Stem Cell Research

• Stem Cell Biology + Lab
• Cellular secretome: components and properties + Lab
• Stem cell research: an anthropological question
• Tissue regeneration during evolution: from invertebrates to vertebrates

Advanced Stem Cell Biology

• Genome editing and stem cell reprogramming
• Mechanobiology and signal transduction
• Omic profiling of stem cells

Analytical Tools in Applied Biology

• Basics of imaging and spectroscopy
• Fundamentals of programming for biological sciences
• Machine learning for biological sciences
• Protein modeling

Mechanisms of Degeneration and Regeneration

• Cellular basis of degenerative processes + LAB
• Cellular basis of regenerative processes
• Environmental toxicants in tissue degeneration
• Inflammation in tissue degeneration (inflammation)

Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering

• Nanomaterials
• Principles of biomaterial engineering and scaffold design
• Science at the nanoscale: physics and chemistry of surfaces

Refining Project Pitches and Proposals

• Academic grant writing for regenerative medicine applications: salient features of a successful proposal + Lab
• Critical reasoning - analysis of current science +Lab
• The processes of patent application + Lab

Translating Stem Cell Research from Bench to Bed

• Basics of applied economics
• Introduction to Ethics in clinical trials: ethical committees
• Regulatory aspects in ATMPS and beyond ρ Technology transfer in biotechnology translating into the clinics: research processes and phases of clinical trials

Scientific English 1

Italian language* (2 ECTS)

*For mother tongue Italian students, Advanced English (2 CFU)

Year 2

Basic Laboratory

• Laboratory safety

From in Vitro to in Vivo Preclinical Models, Toward Clinical Applications

• Advanced therapies in immune-related diseases
• Animal models for regenerative medicine
• Microfluidic-based models: organ on-chip, human on-chip, bioreactors
• Modeling neurodegenerative disorders
• Statistics and mathematical models in biology

Laboratory 1

• Cell culture Lab: cell isolation and culture
• Molecular biology LAB

RefLaboratory 2

• Advances in imaging and spectroscopy Lab
• A minimal experimentation Lab
• Flow cytometry Lab
• Imaging in cell biology: techniques, technology and tools Lab

Degree Awarded: Laurea Magistrale in Innovations in Biotechnology Applied to Regenerative Medicine

The graduate in "Innovations in Biotechnology Applied to Regenerative Medicine" is someone capable of working in multiple areas of research, development, production, and services at public or private institutions and biotech companies.

The graduate will have obtained the necessary skills for the advancement and development of scientific and technological innovation in the field of biotechnology applied to regenerative medicine and will be able to manage and design biotechnological methodologies for the development and production of new therapeutic strategies.

The graduate will have many career options that include:

• Research and service laboratories in public or private institutions (universities, research organizations)
• Biotech and pharmaceutical industries, in research and development, regulatory and quality control activities
• National and international regulatory and certification bodies
• Companies that carry out and support technology transfer activities

Institutions involved in activities complementary to biotechnology (publishing and scientific communication, service
Providers, grant writing, and scientific support agencies)

In addition, after passing the State examination, the graduate can register with the Professional Order of Biologists (Senior List), thus being able to access career opportunities in the health sector.

The graduate in 'Innovations in Biotechnology applied to Regenerative Medicine' may also apply for a Ph.D. and other post-graduate specialty schools with access reserved to 'non-medics' as per I.D. no. 716/2016, as well as to similar post-graduate courses at foreign universities.