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Enrico Dainese

Nutritional and applied biochemistry - Prof. Enrico Dainese - a.y. 2025/2026

Food science and technology - 1st year

Section outline

  • Nutritional and applied biochemistry - Prof. Enrico Dainese - a.y. 2025/2026

    Born on September 28th, 1967, in Padova (Italy), Prof. Dainese holds a Master’s degree in Biological Sciences and a PhD in Evolutionary Biology from the University of Padova. He has conducted international research activities at the University of Paris-Sud (France) and the University of Mainz (Germany). In 2016, he also served as a Visiting Professor at Saint Petersburg State University (Russia).
    From 2000 to 2004, he was a Researcher in Biochemistry within the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. From 2005 to 2019, he served as an Associate Professor of Biochemistry, and since 2019, he has been a Full Professor of Biochemistry in the Department of Biosciences and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment at the University of Teramo.

    Institutional Activity:

    ●    From 2012 to 2015: President of the interfaculty Bachelor’s degree programme in Biotechnology.
    ●    Since 2014: Coordinator of the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Research Unit.
    ●    From 2015 to 2018: President of the Quality Assurance Board and Rector's Delegate for University Quality Policies.
    ●    From 2019 to 2021: Dean of the Faculty of Biosciences and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment.
    ●    From 2021 to 2025: Head (Director) of the Department of Biosciences and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment.

    He is also a Member of the Academic Board of the PhD programme in "Molecular and Cellular Biotechnology".

    Current Teaching Activities: Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms in Drug Design (6CFU); Nutritional and Applied Biochemistry (7CFU); Biochemistry of Metabolism (6CFU).

    Research Overview and Focus

    Prof. Dainese’s research activities focus on defining the molecular mechanisms underlying inflammatory processes. He places particular emphasis on the regulation of proteins, lipids, enzymes, and receptors involved in cellular responses under physiological conditions, as well as characterising stress within dyshomeostatic alterations that drive pathological mechanisms.
    To complement biochemical and molecular analyses, he has made extensive use of cellular and animal disease models, which are essential for the functional study of biological pathways in both physiological and dysfunctional states. These models allow for the validation of experimental observations, investigation of pathogenesis at a systemic level, and the identification of potential therapeutic targets. 

    Scientific responsibility for international and national research projects, funded through competitive calls 

    • 2016–2022: Scientific responsibility as a Member of the Supervisory Board and Tutor for Early Stage Researchers within the REP-EAT project, funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 713714 (http://repeat.unite.it/About_us).
    • 2020–2022: Principal Investigator (PI) of the FISR 2020 National Research Project “CONTROL COvid-19 iNflammation TheRapeutic pOtentiaL”.
    • 2019–Present: Principal Investigator (PI) of the BioInspireSensing ETN/ITN project, funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 955643.

    Author of over 100 scientific publications in international peer-reviewed journals. For further information on these publications, please visit the following links:

    https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Enrico-Dainese-2

    https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7163-9344

    INFO ABOUT THE COURSE


    OBJECTIVES OF THE COURSE

    • Knowledge and understanding: Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the structure, function and interactions of major and minor food components (e.g. vitamins, oligonutrients, poliphenols, flavours, etc.).

      Demonstrate a critical understanding of the changes occurring during food process operations on the physico-chemical properties of foods altering the metabolic bioavailability of nutrients.

      Demonstrate an awareness of the relationship between food, nutrition and health, based on a comprehensive understanding of the different metabolic role of nutrients and bioactive food compounds.
    • Applying knowledge and understanding: Demonstrate a critical understanding of the role of food provenance in maintaining food quality. Undertake a biochemical analysis demonstrating how a food product can be authenticated. The case of typical food and of GMOs containing food.
    • Making judgements: Apply knowledge of the metabolic and nutritional biochemistry for the promotion, development and design of food containing bioactive compounds aimed at the prevention of the main disorders of industrialised countries with high social impact.
    • Communication: Describe the legal framework that applies to the production and commercialisation of food containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Description of the legal requirements, enforcement and the penalties that can be applied within the UE countries.
    • Learning skills: Demonstrate the application of the principles of good laboratory practice (GLP), health and security in the context of a food biochemistry laboratory, also for the purification of nutraceuticals.

      Demonstrate familiarity with evaluation techniques of quantitative and qualitative data collected experimentally in food biochemistry, food processing and nutritional assessment.

      Demonstrate the application of the principles of good laboratory practices (GLP), health and safety in the context of a food biochemistry laboratory, also for nutraceuticals purification.

      Knowing how to critically apply the main biochemical methodologies for the analysis of food quality, composition, authenticity and food safety. Critically discuss the effects of intrinsic and extrinsic metabolic factors on shelf-life and safety of foods.



    PREREQUISITE AND PREPARATORY

    • Prerequisite: Biohemistry of metabolism
    • Preparatory: not necessary

    DUBLIN DESCRIPTORS FOR UNIT

    UNIT 1: Metabolic pathways of macronutrients

    • Knowledge and understanding: Food and nutrients. Structural and energy functions of nutrients. Macro- and micro-nutrients. Non-nutrients. Bioavailability of nutrients. Technological treatments of food, chemical and physical changes and bioavailability of nutrients. Nutrient carbohydrates: monosaccharides and disaccharides, polysaccharides. Biochemical processes in the digestion of carbohydrates. Molecular systems of absorption and transport of the carbohydrates. Carbohydrate reserves in humans: accumulation and mobilization. Mechanisms of regulation of blood glucose. Unavailable carbohydrate and fibers. Glycemic index. Technological processes and nutritional properties of carbohydrates. The example of cereals
    • Applying knowledge and understanding: Protein nutrients: proteins and their constituents. Plastic function and energy of proteins. Bioavailability and nutritional value of food protein sources. Digestion of food proteins. Absorption and transport of amino acids. Main mechanisms of regulation of protein turnover in tissues and systems of the human organism. Control of the metabolism of proteins in humans. Technological processes and nutritional properties of proteins. The example of cereals, legumes and fish.
    • Making judgements: Lipid nutrients: fats, oils and their constituents. Biochemical processes in the digestion of lipids. Absorption and transport of lipids. Training and mobilization of lipid reserves in humans. Regulation of triglyceride and cholesterol. Technological processes and nutritional properties of lipids. The example of vegetable and fish oils.
    • Communication: Bioactive lipids in nutrition: eicosanoids, endocannabinoids and lipokines. Leptin and recent advances in the control of appetite. Bioactive lipids in nutrition: the eicosanoids. Changes that occur during food processing on the physico-chemical properties of lipids able to alter their metabolic bioavailability.
    • Learning skills: Knowing how to critically apply the main biochemical methodologies for the analysis of food quality, composition, authenticity and food safety. Critically discuss the effects of intrinsic and extrinsic metabolic factors on shelf-life and safety of foods.


    UNIT 2: Biochemical-nutritional role of the oligonutrients: functional interactions

    • Knowledge and understanding: Activation and biochemical role of water-soluble vitamins: B1, B2, B6, B12, C, H, PP, folic acid, pantothenic acid.
    • Applying knowledge and understanding: Absorption and transport of vitamin B12. The fat-soluble vitamins: A, D, E, K. Absorption, activation and biological role.
    • Making judgements: Inorganic nutrients. Na, K, Ca, Mg and P: main biochemical roles of macro minerals. Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, Mo, I, F, Cr, Se, Co: biochemical role of trace elements.
    • Communication: Interactions between macro- and micro-nutrients (e.g., vitamins, polyphenols, oligonutrients, aromas, etc.) in various foods. The example of the grain, wine, olive oil. Changes of the main antioxidant compounds in food processing and during digestive metabolism.
    • Learning skills: Knowing how to critically apply the main biochemical methodologies for the analysis of food quality, composition, authenticity and food safety. Critically discuss the effects of intrinsic and extrinsic metabolic factors on shelf-life and safety of foods.


    UNIT 3: Functional foods and nutraceuticals.

    • Knowledge and understanding: Molecular and enzymatic alterations in obesity. Obesity as a disease of endogenous biochemical systems that modulate inflammation but also behavioral aspects.
    • Applying knowledge and understanding: Bioactive compounds in foods can prevent diseases spread wide and high social impact in industrialized countries. Nutrigenomics, epigenetic modulation and their role on major human diseases.
    • Making judgements: Functional foods, food supplements, novel foods: biochemical and nutritional insights. Foods containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and biological nutritional quality, legislation and safety. Metabolic pathways of natural compounds (e.g., nutraceuticals, bioactive lipids, etc.) in foods of plant and animal origin.
    • Communication: Bioactive food and nutraceutics. Study of bioactive compounds and metabolic enzymes involved in the quality and safety of food (e.g., wine, olive oil and fish).
    • Learning skills: Knowing how to critically apply the main biochemical methodologies for the analysis of food quality, composition, authenticity and food safety. Critically discuss the effects of intrinsic and extrinsic metabolic factors on shelf-life and safety of foods.


    UNIT 4: Laboratory

    • Knowledge and understanding: Qualitative and quantitative analysis of food proteins by SDS-PAGE and ELISA
    • Applying knowledge and understanding: Measurement of protein solutions via UV spectrophotometry, Bradford assay and densitometric analysis of protein bands on polyacrylamide gel.
    • Making judgements: Description and use of computer programs for the analysis and processing of data (Excel and Image J).
      Preparation and storage of solutions. Biochemical buffers. Use of the spectrophotometer.
    • Communication: Main biochemical methodologies involved in the analysis of the quality, composition, purity and safety of food: protein assay methods (Bradford assay and spectrophotometric assay), SDS-PAGE, Western blotting, ELISA, ELISA-sandwitch, fluorescence spectrophotometry and "Antibody arrays".
    • Learning skills: Knowing how to critically apply the main biochemical methodologies for the analysis of food quality, composition, authenticity and food safety. Critically discuss the effects of intrinsic and extrinsic metabolic factors on shelf-life and safety of foods.

    COURSE BOOKS

    Biochimica degli alimenti e della nutrizione

    RESEARCH MATERIAL

    The Endocannabinoid System and Its Relevance for Nutrition

    INTERMEDIATE TESTS

    EVALUATION
    Class and laboratory attendance is strongly recommended.
    - Oral exam for evaluation of technical and scientific knowledge and skills as well as the improvement of a professional and technical language. - Project and research activities for product development with oral presentation of the final product in a dedicated session to evaluate communication, problem solving and team working skills (Dublin descriptors 3,4, 5).