Properties of water (pH and buffers); chemistry of amino acids and proteins including non-covalent interactions; carbohydrates, nucleotides and nucleic acids; lipids and membranes; enzyme mechanisms and kinetics; control of enzyme activity; bioenergetics and oxidative metabolism; and chemistry of photosynthesis.

Students will explore biotechnology applied to the conservation of cultural assets in Sicily. The course is focused on the application of biotechnological protocols to reveal and characterize microbial "biodeterioration" of historic-artistic manufacts. Moreover, biotechnology can play an important role in the identification, isolation and application of bioactive molecules useful in artwork "biocleaning" procedures or to control microbial colonization acting as "biocide". During the academic track scientific disciplines such as biology, chemistry, physics, geology and biotechnology are developed conceptually and applied in the laboratory.