Riassunto di Processi biotecnologici e microrganismi per promuovere la circolarità delle risorse

Syllabus del corso

Italiano ‎(it)‎
English ‎(en)‎

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Descrizione del modulo

Nel modulo proposto si porterà attenzione a come le attività umane molto spesso portino ad un uso delle risorse poco lungimirante. Da una parte infatti il loro uso eccede la capacità del pianeta di rigenerarle e dall’altra genera grandi quantità di rifiuti, che oltre a depauperare le risorse stesse impattano negativamente sul pianeta e sulla salute di tutti i viventi. Riscoprire la possibilità di tornare alla circolarità delle risorse attraverso lo studio della biodiversità, con particolare attenzione a quella microbica, è anche un modo per rispettarla, valorizzarla e ristorarla, azioni che a cascata possono portare beneficio a tutto il sistema-pianeta. A partire da questi concetti, scopriremo che cosa sono i processi biobased e come i microrganismi possono essere una delle chiavi di volta per sviluppare nuovi sistemi produttivi che rispettino i principi della sostenibilità.

Obiettivi di apprendimento

Acquisire competenze di gergo e concetti chiave rispetto alle tematiche della circolarità delle risorse, dei processi biobased, microbial based, dei biomateriali e delle bioraffinerie. Acquisire inoltre la capacità di discussione critica delle tematiche suddette e della percezione della complessità e multidisciplinarietà dei processi biobased innovativi, che prendono in considerazione sia aspetti locali che globali.

Obiettivo generale

Abilità e competenze specifiche

Abilità e competenze sui temi sopra descritti ed in particolare: capacità di definire cosa si intenda per confini del pianeta, divisione delle fasi rispetto alla generazione di gas serra, e ancora biomassa, quali siano le diverse generazioni da cui sviluppare processi biobased.
Competenze specifiche che permettano di distinguere tra riuso, riciclo e up-cycling, nonché i temi della riprogettazione. Competenze di base rispetto alla biodiversità microbica, alle capacità metaboliche ed enzimatiche, ed elementi di approfondimento rispetto al tema degli OGM e di contro rispetto al tema della sostenibilità di filiere di produzione per la creazione di beni e servizi, inclusi nutraceutici e fonti alimentari alternative, costituite proprio da biomasse microbiche o da specifiche proteine/metaboliti.

Obiettivi di Sviluppo Sostenibile dell’Agenda 2030 dell’ONU

Il modulo proposto è coerente con alcuni Obiettivi dell’Agenda 2030: Obiettivo 2: Fame Zero, Obiettivo 9: Imprese, Innovazione e Infrastrutture, Obiettivo 12: Consumo e produzione responsabile, Obiettivo 13: I cambiamenti del clima, Obiettivo 14: La vita sott’acqua, Obiettivo 15: La vita sulla terra.
In particolare, è ascrivibile alle iniziative volte a:
Goal 2.4 By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality.
Goal 9.4 By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes, with all countries taking action in accordance with their respective capabilities
Goal 12: all the targets
Goal 13: 13.3 Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning
13.B Promote mechanisms for raising capacity for effective climate change-related planning and management in least developed countries and small island developing States, including focusing on women, youth and local and marginalized communities
Goal 14: 14.A Increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacity and transfer marine technology, taking into account the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Criteria and Guidelines on the Transfer of Marine Technology, in order to improve ocean health and to enhance the contribution of marine biodiversity to the development of developing countries, in particular small island developing States and least developed countries
Goal 15: 15.A Mobilize and significantly increase financial resources from all sources to conserve and sustainably use biodiversity and ecosystems

Suddivisione degli incontri

Il modulo, della durata di 12 ore, è così suddiviso: 6 incontri, di due ore l’uno.
Dettaglio:
2 ore: Risorse fossili e biomasse di fresca sintesi: quale la differenza? Quali le generazioni?
2 ore: Ruolo dei microrganismi nei processi circolari dei flussi di elementi e materia
2 ore: Dalle biomasse ai processi biobased, con un focus su processi condotti dai microrganismi, naturali e ingegnerizzati
2 ore: Concetto di rethinking in una società che cambia, con focus sui processi biobased. Differenza fra riuso, riciclo e upcycling
2 ore: Case study: produzione di proteine ed oli edibili grazie a processi microbici di upcycling di biomasse di scarto
2 ore: Case study: upcycling della plastica tradizionale in prodotti di nuova sintesi
Durante le lezioni verrà fatto esplicito riferimento ai concetti di planet boundaries, emissions and scopes, SDGs e verrà chiaramente spiegato come svolgere il compito per l’accertamento dell’acquisizione di competenze.

Numero di partecipanti

Massimo 30

Lingua utilizzata negli incontri

Italiano, su richiesta inglese

Periodo di erogazione del modulo

Giugno 2024

Modalità di accertamento degli esiti del processo di apprendimento

Fruizione (lettura approfondita) dei materiali messi a disposizione; restituzione di un breve elaborato a partire da domande inerenti agli argomenti svolti.

Dipartimento di afferenza del docente

Biotecnologie e Bioscienze

Sustainable Development Goals

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Module description

In this course, attention will be brought to how human activities very often lead to short-sighted use of resources. On the one hand, their use exceeds the planet's capacity to regenerate them, and on the other it generates large amounts of waste, which in addition to depleting the resources themselves negatively impacts the planet and the health of all living organisms. Rediscovering the possibility of returning to the circularity of resources through the study of biodiversity, with particular attention to microbial biodiversity, is a way to respect, enhance and restore it, actions that in cascade can benefit the entire system-planet. Starting with these concepts, we will discover what biobased processes are and how microorganisms can be one of the keys to developing new production systems that respect the principles of sustainability.

Learning goals

Acquire jargon skills and key concepts with respect to the topics of resource circularity, biobased, microbial-based processes, biomaterials and biorefineries. Also acquire the ability to critically discuss the above issues and the perception of the complexity and multidisciplinarity of innovative biobased processes, which take into consideration both local and global aspects.

General goal

Specific skills and competences

Skills and competencies on the topics described above and in particular: ability to define what is meant by planetary boundaries, division of phases with respect to greenhouse gas generation, and again biomass, what are the different generations from which to develop biobased processes.
Specific skills to distinguish between reuse, recycling and up-cycling, as well as the issues of redesign. Basic skills with respect to microbial biodiversity, metabolic and enzymatic capacities, and in-depth elements with respect to the topic of GMOs and conversely with respect to the topic of sustainability of production chains for the creation of goods and services, including nutraceuticals and alternative food sources, consisting precisely of microbial biomass or specific proteins/metabolites.

Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 UN Agenda

The proposed module is consistent with some of the Goals of Agenda 2030: Goal 2: Zero Hunger, Goal 9: Business, Innovation and Infrastructure, Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, Goal 13: Climate Change, Goal 14: Life Under Water, Goal 15: Life on Earth.
In particular, it is attributable to initiatives aimed at:
Goal 2.4 By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality.
Goal 9.4 By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes, with all countries taking action in accordance with their respective capabilities
Goal 12: all the targets
Goal 13: 13.3 Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning
13.B Promote mechanisms for raising capacity for effective climate change-related planning and management in least developed countries and small island developing States, including focusing on women, youth and local and marginalized communities
Goal 14: 14.A Increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacity and transfer marine technology, taking into account the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Criteria and Guidelines on the Transfer of Marine Technology, in order to improve ocean health and to enhance the contribution of marine biodiversity to the development of developing countries, in particular small island developing States and least developed countries
Goal 15: 15.A Mobilize and significantly increase financial resources from all sources to conserve and sustainably use biodiversity and ecosystems

Breakdown of meetings

The 12-hour module is divided as follows: 6 meetings, two hours each.
Detail:
2 hours: Fossil resources and freshly synthesized biomass: what is the difference? What are the generations?
2 hours: Role of microorganisms in circular processes of element and matter flows
2 hours: From biomass to biobased processes, with a focus on microorganism-led, natural and engineered processes
2 hours: Concept of rethinking in a changing society, with a focus on biobased processes. Difference between reuse, recycling and upcycling
2 hr: Case study: production of proteins and edible oils by microbial upcycling processes of waste biomass
2 hours: Case study: upcycling of traditional plastics into newly synthesized products
During the lectures, explicit reference will be made to the concepts of planetary boundaries, emissions and scopes, SDGs, and it will be clearly explained how to do the assignment for the assessment of skill acquisition.