The Master’s Degree Programme in Pharmaceutical and Industrial Biotechnology aims to train biotechnologists with advanced expertise in the pharmaceutical and industrial fields, equipped with high-level technological and experimental knowledge and skills. Graduates are prepared to design, conduct, and manage research and development activities in biotechnologies applied to the healthcare sector, with particular focus on the design, characterization, and formulation of innovative and biotechnological drugs.
The programme provides students with the preparation needed to coordinate development and monitoring activities related to biotechnologies applied to human health, especially concerning the development of pharmacological products and vaccines. This includes not only scientific and healthcare aspects but also administrative and managerial dimensions, thanks to the economic and legal competencies acquired during the course of study.
At the same time, this new interclass Master’s Degree also trains graduates capable of carrying out professional activities in research and in the production of goods and services across various sectors of industrial biotechnology, in areas connected to chemical, biochemical, genetic, and microbiological disciplines, applying the experimental scientific method as the foundational approach to biotechnological sciences.
The curriculum is structured around groups of scientific-disciplinary sectors covering basic biotechnological disciplines, pharmaceutical biotechnology, applied biotechnological skills, biomolecular sciences, and chemical‑industrial knowledge. Across all these areas, the programme consists of compulsory courses, theoretical or theoretical‑practical, through which students:
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deepen their understanding of the genetic and biochemical aspects of cellular systems;
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study the structure, functions, and interactions of biological macromolecules, as well as the organization of related cellular processes;
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examine the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying pathological processes, including those resulting from interactions with viruses and microorganisms;
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use key methodologies in molecular and cellular biotechnology for the design and production of biopharmaceuticals, vaccines, and diagnostics;
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apply chemical and computational methods to identify active molecules targeting therapeutically relevant molecular structures, and employ specific technologies related to molecular modelling, drug design, and formulation of innovative pharmaceuticals;
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advance their skills in the analysis of biopharmaceuticals, vaccines, and diagnostics, particularly regarding chemical, biological, and pharmacotoxicological aspects;
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use bioinformatic methodologies for the identification and construction of databases, with particular reference to genomics and proteomics, and for the acquisition and dissemination of scientific and technological information;
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apply methodologies for the development of molecular nanostructures for the analysis, monitoring, and treatment of human diseases, as well as for the nano‑formulation of biotechnological drugs;
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learn the fundamental aspects of operational processes following the industrial design of biotechnological products and the formulation of biopharmaceuticals;
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acquire essential knowledge in economics, business organization, enterprise creation and management, innovation project management, and marketing of biotechnological pharmaceutical products;
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gain familiarity with national and European Union regulations related to bioethics, intellectual property protection, and safety in the biotechnology sector.
Graduates in Pharmaceutical and Industrial Biotechnology also complete a training path that enables them to develop:
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knowledge of the molecular and cellular bases of prokaryotic, eukaryotic, and viral biological systems;
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bioinformatic skills for consulting genome and proteome databases;
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understanding of the organization and expression of prokaryotic, eukaryotic, and viral genomes;
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knowledge of microbiology applied to environmental and industrial biotechnologies;
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understanding of structure–function relationships of biological macromolecules relevant to biotechnological applications, and of instrumental and methodological approaches for their characterization;
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knowledge of chemical engineering and industrial biotechnological plants to transfer acquired biological and chemical knowledge to production scale;
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expertise in enzymology, protein engineering, and biocatalysis for the use of natural or modified enzymes in industrial biotechnological applications.
Professional training activities include the acquisition of knowledge on the main intellectual property rights, as well as the procedures and forms of intellectual property protection, in order to safeguard the results of scientific research and their impact on the biotechnology enterprise within the regulatory framework for the economic valorization of intellectual property.
The programme concludes with an experimental internship that allows students to apply the theoretical and practical foundations acquired in a real operational context. This internship may be carried out in university laboratories, companies, and/or private or public institutions, both nationally and internationally.
