Pathways for Transversal Skills and Orientation
Current legislation establishes a mandatory number of hours of PCTO (Pathways for Transversal Skills and Orientation, formerly Alternanza Scuola-Lavoro) for all secondary school students from grade 3a onwards.
The University of Genoa with its many facilities (Departments, Centers, Libraries, Museums, General Management, etc.) is a host subject for PCTO.
The University of Genoa's link where to find all information about it is https://alternanza-scuola-lavoro.unige.it/welcome.
The contact person for the Department of Experimental Medicine (DIMES) is Prof. Santina Bruzzone santina.bruzzone@unige.it.
The PCTOs to be carried out at the DIMES laboratories aim to enable students to get closer to some of the techniques most commonly used in biomedical research. First, students will have the opportunity to realize how having mastery of the chemistry and biology knowledge provided to them in their schooling, are fundamental and indispensable in the development of different experimental approaches, to answer the medical-biological questions that confront the researcher. Students will have the opportunity to get close to some of the techniques, having the opportunity to work alongside the work of the researcher in the biomedical field, through some concrete experiences in laboratories of biochemistry, molecular and cellular biology, physiology and pathology, anatomy and histology.
Some examples of experiences in which the student will participate are: cloning techniques, mammalian cell culture, development of cell toxicity assays, production and purification of recombinant proteins, investigations at the cellular and subcellular level by different techniques (electrophysiology, microscopy, ...), qualitative-quantitative analysis of molecules of pharmacological interest, etc.
Students will always be supported by experienced lecturers and researchers.
This experience will enable the student to perceive what life is like in a bio-medical research laboratory, and to more consciously orient themselves in their future study and work choices.