Corsi di studio in
Farmacia - Chimica e tecnologia farmaceutiche

The aim of this course is to provide an outline of the basic principles and biophysical methods most frequently used in drug discovery, and an understanding of the basic physics, engineering and instrumentation underlying these tecnics. This course will emphasize the strengths, usefulness and application of these tecnics, so that any medicinal chemist engaging in a new research program can judge if, and how, his/her project could potentially benefit from these technology. The knowledge gained from this course will be valuable to any medicinal chemists, particularly those working in the pharmaceutical industry or in hospitals, or those involved in clinical trials, or who have access to medical imaging data.

Overview of the current range, strengths and limitations of biophysical methods most frequently used in drug discovery, (es. X-ray christallography, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, positron emission tomography) togheter with the characteristics of typical experiments giving examples of when and how they can have an impact on drug discovery. First summary of the main techniques and their requirements, and then descriptions of the information that they can provide and the stages at which they can be applied in the drug discovery process. Conclusion about the opportunities for new developments in biophysics — for example, methods that are able to operate in more authentic and physiologically complex settings (that is, in a cellular, tissue or organism setting), as is the trend for other assay technologies. Challenges for current technologies and future opportunities to use biophysical methods to solve drug discovery problems.