Study Molecular Biotechnology
In the last five years, both basic and applied Molecular Biotechnology has expanded with new potential challenges for the Health Sciences with an increasing demand for interdisciplinary approaches. Pursuing a Master's degree in Molecular Biotechnology at the University of Torino can offer several benefits and opportunities, and can equip you with the skills to conduct cutting-edge research with diverse career opportunities. The field is constantly evolving, and new discoveries are being made regularly. Nowadays, Molecular Biotechnology plays a crucial role in the development of health sciences in terms of medical treatments, therapies, and diagnostic tools. In particular:
- Understanding molecular processes at the cellular level allows researchers to create targeted treatments for various diseases, including cancer, genetic disorders, neurodegeneration and infectious diseases.
- Cell therapy, a rapidly evolving field within Molecular Biotechnology and regenerative medicine, involves the use of living cells to treat various medical conditions and diseases. This approach harnesses the inherent capabilities of cells to repair, replace, or regenerate damaged tissues or organs. Cell therapy holds great promise for addressing a wide range of health issues, from chronic diseases to degenerative disorders.
- "Omics", the various disciplines of molecular biology that focus on studying and analyzing large-scale biological data from genomics, transcriptomics, epigenomics, proteomics and metabolomics, are essential tools to integrate this multi-omics data to gain a comprehensive understanding of complex biological processes.
- Genetic engineering enables the manipulation of genes and genomes for various applications, such as the production of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), gene therapy, and synthetic biology.
- In the field of the personalized medicine Molecular Biotechnology provides the tools and techniques necessary for identifying genetic markers and developing personalized treatment strategies, leading to more effective and targeted medical interventions.
The University of Torino, known for its strong academic reputation, with the Master in Molecular Biotechnology can provide a conducive learning environment to help you gain the skills and knowledge needed to excel in all these different areas. The possibility to reach these aims is facilitated by the synergy between the teachers of the course, including both basic scientists and clinicians. Each member of the faculty is involved in experimental and clinical state-of-the-art projects in the biotechnological field that are founded by national and international organization.
Molecular biotechnology intersects with various scientific disciplines, such as cellular and molecular biology, immunology, chemistry, physics, molecular imaging and bioinformatics. This interdisciplinary approach enhances your problem-solving skills and prepares you to collaborate with experts from different fields.
By obtaining advanced education in this area, you can contribute to scientific advancements and innovative breakthroughs. The knowledge and skills acquired through the Master in Molecular Biotechnology are globally applicable. The issues related to healthcare, environmental sustainability, and biotechnology are of international concern, making your expertise valuable worldwide.
- Graduates in Molecular Biotechnology at the University of Torino are sought after by both academia and industry. You can choose to pursue further academic research through a Ph.D. program or work in diverse roles within biotech companies, research institutions, regulatory agencies, and more, mostly to coordinate research projects in the fields of biotechnology.
- The pharmaceutical and biotech industries have a growing demand for professionals skilled in molecular biotechnology. The Master's degree in this field can provide you with the expertise required to work on drug discovery, development, and production.
- Least but not last, studying Molecular Biotechnology enables you to make meaningful contributions to society by advancing scientific knowledge and addressing real-world challenges in healthcare, agriculture, environment, and beyond.
This knowledge is essential in the ongoing efforts to improve human health and extend life expectancy.
In Molecular Biotechnology at the University of Torino, students spend most of their formative curriculum attending the experimental work in a research laboratory that may lead to scientific publications. Lectures and seminars offered by the University of Torino are part of the formative track. Courses in entrepreneurship, project management, and proposal writing round out the course offering.
The Molecular Biotechnology program aims to produce researchers whose profound knowledge of the most advanced biotechnological applications enables them to independently address the most important basic and applied health science issues. As such, the graduates have all the theoretical knowledge and practical skills to in academy, in pharma- and biotech- companies.
The courses in the program are structured into two programs: the Molecular Computational and Translational Biotechnology and the Biomedical Imaging and drug discovery.
The Molecular Computational and Translational Biotechnology Program focuses on the latest advances in genomics and genetic engineering in the biomedicine field with specific reference to technological aspects including next-generation sequencing, high-throughput screening, and gene and cell therapy. Bioinformatics tools and methodologies are essential in translational biotechnology for managing and analyzing large-scale genomic, proteomics or metabolomics data, to enhance the ability to interpret complex biological data. To address this aspect from the year 2024-2025 we have added two courses: Programming Approaches For Bioinformatics and Advanced Data Analysis For Biological Processes.
The Biomedical Imaging and drug discovery addresses topics in the field of drug discovery and medical diagnostics with a focus on the latest advances in molecular imaging technology and on bioinformatics tools for drug designing.
Along with high quality teaching, the Master program in Molecular Biotechnology provides practical experience in research laboratories in both Academia and Biotech Companies. The study plan (120 credits) includes some courses common to both programs in the first year, some optional courses to be chosen by the students (8 credits) and stages in laboratory (12 credits).
The Master program in Molecular Biotechnology allows the students to adapt to their individual interests. The diversity and the multiple options for lectures, seminars and research projects allow exploring different fields of modern biotechnological research.
During their experimental thesis, students acquire a solid scientific background, technical skills, problem-solving capacity, and ability to present and discuss scientific data. Students learn to design and develop research strategies aimed at applying emerging technology to the Health Sciences; our research laboratories provide advanced training opportunities with state-of-the-art scientific equipment.
The use of English as the official language produces graduates with an international profile, equipping them with a range of soft skills that increase their employability in international work environments.
The Master program in Molecular Biotechnology is included in the master program of the Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences (DBMSS). The DBMSS is one of the eight Departments of Excellence 2023-2027 of the University of Turin.
Moreover, the Molecular Biotechnology program is hosted at the Molecular and Biotechnology Center (MBC1 and MBC2), which provides an ideal environment by combining cellular and molecular biology, immunology, molecular imaging and bioinformatics. MBC combines researchers from different Departments, creating an interdisciplinary environment for addressing the complex research topics, and for designing highly competitive training
The scientific environment gathered around the Master program offers a highly qualified biotechnological know-how that is fundament for tackling a career in the field of health science research, discovery and development. DBMSS and MBC aim to become a national and international reference point for cell therapies over the next five years thanks to the Cell Factory of the University of Turin specialized in the production of cells and tissues for cell therapy and regenerative medicine, according to the legislation and GMP requirements.
A large-scale facility node of a European imaging network EuroBioimaging is based at MBC with a satellite University/Industry laboratory at the Bioindustry Park Silvano Fumero, Colleretto Giacosa (TO).
Other than at MBC, students may receive their laboratory experience at other laboratories of the University of Torino including Candiolo Cancer Institute - IRCCS, Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi - NICO, and CeRMS, the Centre for Biomedical Research, as well as in industrial research labs. Among the latter, there are Bracco and Merck-Serono at the Bioindustry Park and DiaSorin.