Frontal lessons

- Introduction to the course and definitions; general concepts of gene expression regulation in mammalian somatic cells.
- Barker hypothesis and Developmental Origins of Health and Disease.
- Regulation of gene expression in the oocyte; Maternal Effect Genes.
- Mitochondria: Regulation of gene expression, heredity and biogenesis.
- Regulation of gene expression in embryos.
- Epigenetics: main mechanisms and reprogramming in gametes and embryos; Genomic imprinting; cell identity.
- Effects of in vitro manipulation of gametes and embryos on the regulation of gene expression.
- Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis
- Transgenesis and bioreactors: techniques and applications.
- Gene editing: conceptual background and definition. Traditional gene editing methods and evolution of recombinant technologies.
- CRISPR / Cas9: components and mechanisms; design and delivery.

Practise
- In silico sequence analysis; design of primers for molecular analyses.
- laboratory activity on isolation of nucleic acids from gonadal tissue and relative quantitative and qualitative analysis.
- Gene-specific molecular analysis by Real Time PCR.