Teaching

Laboratory Safety: chemical and biological risks

Lecturer: Daniele Del Buono

CFU: 1

Hourse: 6

Course title: Laboratory Safety: chemical and biological risks

Course description
The course aims to explain some regulatory aspects related to current workplace safety laws, with particular reference to health and safety obligations. In addition, the course aims to provide concepts that will enable PhD students to assume a responsible and safe attitude in the laboratory that will allow them to reduce the risk from handling hazardous and/or toxic substances up to storage and disposal.

Final assessment: Yes (oral)

Recommended year of study: 1

Type: A -  Frontal courses delivered by the Ph.D. program, C: Frontal and transversal courses with a multi-, inter-, or transdisciplinary focus

Relevant Curriculum: Agri-food and livestock production; Sustainable production systems and environment

Bibliographic databases and principles of bibliometrics

Lecturer: Gianandrea Salerno

CFU: 1

Hourse: 6

Course title: Bibliographic databases and principles of bibliometrics

Course description
The course provides a brief description of the most common bibliographic databases with particular attention to Scopus and WOS (Web of Science) and indicates the main methods and aims of bibliographic research. Information is provided on the evaluation of research, on the origins, characteristics and purposes of bibliometrics, on the role and importance of citations and the possible problems deriving from them. Information relating to the various bibliometric indicators is provided, indicating their meaning and method of calculation. The characteristics of international citation databases (Web of Science and Scopus) and Google Scholar are illustrated, highlighting possible limits and critical issues. Examples of the application of bibliometric indicators for the evaluation of individuals or structures (Research Units, Departments, Universities) in the framework of Italian applications (ASN, VQR) are provided.

Final assessment: Yes (oral)

Recommended year of study: 1

Type: A -  Frontal courses delivered by the Ph.D. program, C: Frontal and transversal courses with a multi-, inter-, or transdisciplinary focus

Relevant Curriculum: Agri-food and livestock production; Sustainable production systems and environment

Experimental methods in biology

Lecturer: Andrea Onofri

CFU: 2

Hours: 12

Course title: Experimental methods in biology

Course description
Scientifically sound experiments are the fundamental key to scientific progress. The aim of this course is to introduce the students to the organisation of scientific experiments and to the process of data analyses, which should always produce reliable and unbiased data and conclusions, to be presented by using the appropriate format and with full and correct information.

Final assessment: Yes (Final quizzes on the topics covered)

Recommended year of study: 1

Type: A -  Frontal courses delivered by the Ph.D. program, C: Frontal and transversal courses with a multi-, inter-, or transdisciplinary focus

Relevant Curriculum: Agri-food and livestock production; Sustainable production systems and environment

How to prepare figures and tables for a scientific article

Lecturer: Roberto Romani

CFU: 1

Hours: 6

Course title: How to prepare figures and tables for a scientific article

Course description
The course aims to provide PhD students with the basic tools to manage software for preparing graphical elements for a scientific paper, such as tables and figures. Use of some specific software (both open source and commercial) for preparing tables, graphs and illustrations; Ability to organise content into graphic elements suitable for publication in scientific journals; Analysing and interpreting scientific journal guidelines for tables, graphs and illustrations.

Final assessment: Yes (Practical creation of a graphic product)

Recommended year of study: 1

Type: A -  Frontal courses delivered by the Ph.D. program, C: Frontal and transversal courses with a multi-, inter-, or transdisciplinary focus

Relevant Curriculum: Agri-food and livestock production; Sustainable production systems and environment

Climate change: causes and effects

Lecturer: Francesca Todisco

CFU: 2

Hours: 12

Course title: Climate change: causes and effects

Course description
The course aims to provide the tools to correctly interpret the information, forecasts and trends published in the field of climate change and to provide general information on the global model used to forecast climate change at a continental scale.

Final assessment: Yes (Presentation)

Recommended year of study: 1

Type: A -  Frontal courses delivered by the Ph.D. program.

Relevant Curriculum: Agri-food and livestock production; Sustainable production systems and environment

Applications of microscopy in agricultural and environmental sciences

Lecturer: Lara Reale

CFU: 1

Hours: 6

Course title: Applications of microscopy in agricultural and environmental sciences

Course description
This course aims to give the theorical principles and show practical examples of the principal microscopy techniques used in agricultural and environmental research. We will see the theory about light properties, stereomicroscope, light microscopy, epifluorescence microscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The course will also present the currently used protocols and give practical examples of research in which microscopy plays a crucial role. The final objective is to show the potentialities of several techniques, so that the PhD student can decide if they can be useful in his research project.

Final assessment: Yes (written)

Recommended year of study: 1

Type: A -  Frontal courses delivered by the Ph.D. program.

Relevant Curriculum: Agri-food and livestock production; Sustainable production systems and environment

How to write a scientific article

Lecturer: Eric Conti

CFU: 2

Hours: 12

Course title: How to write a scientific article

Course description
Understanding the importance of publishing in science, acquiring knowledge and ability on scientific writing and on the process of publishing in peer reviewed journals. Intended learning outcomes . - Understanding the mechanisms of per-reviewed scientific publishing - Improving ability to design the layout and start writing a research or review paper - Improving scientific style and clarity in writing.

Final assessment: Yes (presentation)

Recommended year of study: 2

Type: A -  taught courses delivered by the Ph.D. program, C: Frontal  and transversal courses with a multi-, inter-, or transdisciplinary focus

Relevant Curriculum: Agri-food and livestock production; Sustainable production systems and environment

How to present scientific research results

Lecturer: Lorenzo Covarelli

CFU: 1

Hours: 6

Course title: How to present scientific research results

Course description
During the course, the dissemination and presentation of scientific results will be illustrated. In detail, both a conference abstract and result presentation, either as poster or oral communication, will be explained. At the end of the course, students will be asked to present part of their own results either as an abstract or a poster. Intended learning outcomes: - Abstract preparation and submission; - Result presentation (poster and oral); - Improvement of writing and presentation skills.

Final assessment: Yes (presentation of a poster or oral communication)

Recommended year of study: 2

Type: A -  Frontal courses delivered by the Ph.D. program, C: Frontal and transversal courses with a multi-, inter-, or transdisciplinary focus

Relevant Curriculum: Agri-food and livestock production; Sustainable production systems and environment

Metrics for the circular economy

Lecturer: Lucia Rocchi

CFU: 1

Hours: 6

Course title: Metrics for the circular economy

Course description
The course aims to introduce the general principles of evaluation and measurement within the context of the circular economy, drawing on the framework established by the Bellagio Declaration. It will present some of the main metrics currently in use, with particular emphasis on their application to agri-food supply chains. The course also includes practical activities involving analysis and the application of these metrics to case studies.

Final assessment: Yes (Creation of a report / presentation)

Recommended year of study: 2

Type: A -  Frontal courses delivered by the Ph.D. program

Relevant Curriculum: Agri-food and livestock production; Sustainable production systems and environment

 Advanced experimental methods in biology

Lecturer: Andrea Onofri

CFU: 4

Hours: 24

Course title: Advanced experimental methods in biology

Course description
This course follows the basic course ‘Experimental methods in biology’ (1st year) and it is aimed at deepening students’ knowledge about the design of experiments and data analyses with R. Intended learning outcomes: - Introduce the students to the advanced use of the R software - Introduce the students to advanced procedures of data management with R - Introduce the student to multivariate statistics and applications with R.

Final assessment: Yes (preparation of a report)

Recommended year of study: 2

Type: A -  Frontal courses delivered by the Ph.D. program, C: Frontal  and transversal courses with a multi-, inter-, or transdisciplinary focus

Relevant Curriculum: Agri-food and livestock production; Sustainable production systems and environment

GIS and remote sensing for agro-environmental applications

Lecturer: Marco Vizzari

CFU: 2

Hours: 12

Course title: GIS and remote sensing for agro-environmental applications

Course description
The course aims to provide knowledge of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing techniques specifically applied to agroecosystems and environmental research. Students will develop technical and analytical skills to acquire, process, and interpret geospatial data for monitoring agricultural landscapes, assessing ecosystem dynamics, and supporting sustainable resource management in the context of climate change and food security challenges.

Final assessment: Yes (preparation of a report/presentation)

Recommended year of study: 2

Type: A -  Frontal courses delivered by the Ph.D. program

Relevant Curriculum: Agri-food and livestock production; Sustainable production systems and environment

 Principles of life cycle assessment in agriculture

Lecturer: Pietro Goglio

CFU: 1

Hours: 6

Course title: Principles of life cycle assessment in agriculture

Course description
Identify the principles of environmental Life Cycle Assessment. Describe the key principles of life cycle assessment applied to agricultural systems. Provide insight into real life environmental decision making. In particular: Part 1: Introduction of life cycle thinking; Part 2: LCA history, standard and regulation; Part 3: Functional units; Part 4: System boundary; Part 5: System expansion and allocation; Part 6 Life Cycle Impact Assessment.

Final assessment: Yes (presentation)

Recommended year of study: 2

Type: A -  Frontal courses delivered by the Ph.D. program

Relevant Curriculum: Agri-food and livestock production; Sustainable production systems and environment

Food fermentation

Lecturer: Giovanni De Francesco

CFU: 1

Hours: 6

Course title: Food fermentation

Course description
Fermented foods are an emerging branch of the food industry that is also attracting interest from consumers. The course provides for an in-depth study of food fermentation. The first part will be dedicated to fermented beverages focusing on beer, cider, mead, kombucha, etc... The second part focuses on fermented foods such as miso, tofu, sauerkraut, olives, fermented fish. A final part of the course will focus on possible strategies for reducing salt, the high content of which in many fermented foods appears to limit consumption.

Final assessment: Yes (presentation)

Recommended year of study: 2

Type: A -  Frontal courses delivered by the Ph.D. program

Relevant Curriculum: Agri-food and livestock production; Sustainable production systems and environment

The role of Ph.D. in the agricultural knowledge and innovation system

Lecturer: Stefano Ciliberti

CFU: 2

Hours: 12

Course title: The role of Ph.D. in the agricultural knowledge and innovation system

Course description
The study unit aims to offer a detailed overview on the agri-food policies considering the emerging integration with activities carried out by researchers, experts and practitioners of the existing agricultural and rural knowledge and innovation systems (AKIS) in rural and inner areas. The unit is particularly suitable for PhD candidates willing to deepen their theoretical and practical knowledge about the AKIS, a concept increasingly recalled by European and national research projects dealing with agriculture and livestock activities, as well as to increase their awareness around their future role as high-level consultants and adviser in a scenario of transition towards sustainability. The course foresees online and/or in-person teaching and/or practical lessons and workshops.

Final assessment: Yes (presentation)

Recommended year of study: 2

Type: A -  Frontal courses delivered by the Ph.D. program

Relevant Curriculum: Agri-food and livestock production; Sustainable production systems and environment

How to write a Ph.D. thesis

Lecturer: Lorenzo Covarelli

CFU: 1

Hours: 6

Course title: How to write a Ph.D. thesis

Course description
During the course, information on how to write a successful PhD thesis will be given. In particular, indications on how to perform a good literature review will be provided, followed by the illustration of chapter partitioning and indications on font, front cover, title, index, summary, graphs, figures and tables. At the end of the course students will be asked to prepare a Power Point presentation about the structure of their own PhD thesis. Intended learning outcomes: - Learning how to perform a literature review; - Writing a successful PhD thesis; - Thesis publication in scientific peer-reviewed journals.

Final assessment: Yes (presentation of the structure of your Ph.D. thesis)

Recommended year of study: 3

Type: A -  Frontal courses delivered by the Ph.D. program, C: Frontal  and transversal courses with a multi-, inter-, or transdisciplinary focus

Relevant Curriculum: Agri-food and livestock production; Sustainable production systems and environment

How to review a scientific article

Lecturer: Eric Conti

CFU: 1

Hours: 6

Course title: How to review a scientific article

Course description
Understanding the process of peer reviewing and publishing in science; acquiring knowledge and some ability on peer reviewing, on how to approach a paper and how to proceed with reviews for scientific journals. Intended learning outcomes: - Understanding the importance of peer reviewing for scientific journals and when a request for reviewing can be accepted - Understanding ethics and rules of peer reviewing - Acquiring some ability to approach the review of a scientific paper - Learning how to correctly interact with Editors and Authors

Final assessment: Yes (oral)

Recommended year of study: 3

Type: A -  Frontal courses delivered by the Ph.D. program, C: Frontal and transversal courses with a multi-, inter-, or transdisciplinary focus

Relevant Curriculum: Agri-food and livestock production; Sustainable production systems and environment

Introduction to intellectual property

Lecturer: Bianca Maria Torquati

CFU: 1

Hours: 6

Course title: Introduction to intellectual property

Course description
The course aims to provide a systematic overview of the intellectual property of inventions and its role in the modern bioeconomy. The course provides students with a series of concepts and economic approaches on biotechnological innovation. The economic benefits of the patent system and its roles in promoting innovation and encouraging investment will be discussed. Intended learning outcomes. - Making a product or process innovation accessible to society and marketable - Gaining intellectual property (IP).

Final assessment: Yes (presentation)

Recommended year of study: 2/3

Type: A -  Frontal courses delivered by the Ph.D. program, C: Frontal and transversal courses with a multi-, inter-, or transdisciplinary focus

Relevant Curriculum: Agri-food and livestock production; Sustainable production systems and environment

Effect of the rearing system on the core pillars of animal production

Lecturer: Cesare Castellini

CFU: 2

Hours: 12

Course title: Effect of the rearing system on the core pillars of animal production

Course description
Series of lessons on sustainability of animal production. The courses will provide an in-depth analysis on the effect of the livestock system (intensive, extensive and organic). In particular the topics are: qualitative and nutritional characteristics of meat and eggs; environmental impact and sustainability; resilience of systems (biodiversity, animal welfare, immune response, resistance to environmental stress and adaptability); one welfare approach.

Final assessment: Yes (presentation)

Recommended year of study: 2/3

Type: A -  Frontal courses delivered by the Ph.D. program

Relevant Curriculum: Agri-food and livestock production; Sustainable production systems and environment

Principles of estimating greenhouse gas emissions using the emission factor

Lecturer: Pietro Goglio

CFU: 1

Hours: 6

Course title: Principles of estimating greenhouse gas emissions using the emission factor

Course description
xxxxx

Final assessment: Yes (presentation)

Recommended year of study: 2/3

Type: A -  Frontal courses delivered by the Ph.D. program

Relevant Curriculum: Agri-food and livestock production; Sustainable production systems and environment

PhD thesis layout design

Lecturers: Milos Sevarika/Roberto Romani

CFU: 2

Hours: 12

Course title: PhD thesis layout design

Course description
This course is tailored for final-year PhD candidates seeking to create professional, university-compliant doctoral thesis layouts. The course is designed for beginners and will introduce students to Adobe InDesign, thus no prior experience is necessary. It will equip students with essential skills to produce polished, publisher-ready theses. The 12-hours program provides a structured learning path, covering basic to intermediate InDesign techniques with a focus on thesis formatting. Topics include document setup, character and paragraph styles, managing graphics and tables, color profiles, and print preparation with preflight checks. By the end, students will be able to confidently organize and design their thesis to meet academic and professional standards.

Final assessment: Yes (practical preparation of a thesis chapter)

Recommended year of study: 3

Type: A -  Frontal courses delivered by the Ph.D. program, C: Frontal and transversal courses with a multi-, inter-, or transdisciplinary focus

Relevant Curriculum: Agri-food and livestock production; Sustainable production systems and environment

 Biological risk in human-made environments: analysis methods and impact on human health

Lecturer: Ermanno Federici

CFU: 1

Hours: 6

Course title: Biological risk in human-made environments: analysis methods and impact on human health

Course description
The course aims to introduce PhD students to biological risk, the potential harm to human health resulting from exposure to any microorganism, cell culture, or human endoparasite that could cause infections, allergies, or intoxications. Considering that in industrialized countries humans spend most of their time indoors, particular attention will be devoted to the analysis of possible sources of biological risk in human-altered environments, such as residential, occupational, and industrial buildings, technological facilities, and means of transportation. In this context, the main methods of environmental microbiological monitoring will be presented for assessing contamination levels in air, water, and surfaces.

Final assessment: Yes (oral)

Recommended year of study: 2

Type: B - Frontal courses delivered by other Ph.D. programs, and recommended by the Board of Professors.

Relevant Curriculum: Agri-food and livestock production; Sustainable production systems and environment

 Machine learning for data analysis and image classification in Earth science

Lecturer: Maurizio Petrelli

CFU: 2

Hours: 12

Course title: Machine learning for data analysis and image classification in Earth science

Course description
The course is designed and implemented to provide students with an overall understanding of machine & deep learning techniques as applied to data analysis within the domain of Earth Sciences. The focus will be on preparing and exploiting machine learning algorithms in Python to segment and classify structured datasets, including multi-source images acquired in different spectral bands. the course will encompass both theoretical principles and practical applications, ensuring participants gain insights in the extraction of information from data.

Final assessment: Yes (oral)

Recommended year of study: 2

Type: B - Frontal courses delivered by other Ph.D. programs, and recommended by the Board of Professors.

Relevant Curriculum: Agri-food and livestock production; Sustainable production systems and environment