Download the ranking table of the oral exam for the 38th cycle of the PhD in Biotechnology (pdf_file)
Download the ranking tables and the list of candidates admitted to the oral exam for the 38th cycle of the PhD in Biotechnology (pdf_file)
The call for PhD scholarships funded under PNRR Projects for the admission to the 38th cycle was issued with DR / 2022/3971 of 13/10/2022 and was published in the University Albo and web site at the address:
http://www.unina.it/documents/11958/30110610/DOTT_CICLO_38_2022-10-13_bando_borse_PNRR.pdf
Topics of the 3 available PhD scholarships
PhD scholarship 1
Innovative technologies for the biorefinery of biomasses
The activity is part of a project of exploitation of biomasses for the production of high added values, aiming at the recovery of residues and by-products of industrial/urban wastes. The biorefinery of the biomasses with innovative technologies (e.g. switchable solvents, cascade extraction) allows to deconstruct the biomass, separate the individual components and preserving the bioactivity of the (macro)molecules. The focus is also to exploit non-bioactive (macro)molecules present in the biomass – by fermentation included - to improve the sustainability of the process via fermentation. The activity requires a multidisciplinary-biotechnological approach to develop/apply innovative extractive/separation technologies to biological systems.
PhD scholarship 2
Development of electrochemical biosensors for the detection of environmental DNA with high sensitivity.
This project aims at developing an electrochemical biosensor in which the screen printed electrode is functionalized to carry out impedance spectroscopy. The interdisciplinary team will provide the PhD candidate with the expertise to coat the electrode with 2D materials flakes. The latter will be functionalized with a single chain DNA probe against the specific target. The DNA quantification will be achieved through the measurements of the impedance of the electrolytic cell.
PhD scholarship 3
Development of optical biosensors for the detection of environmental DNA.
This project aims at realizing two biosensors: colorimetric biosensor – which will be made of a kit for qualitative measurements even on-sit –, and fluorescence biosensor in which the fluorescence is enhanced by the so-called Plasmon Enhanced Fluorescence (PEF). The latter aims at achieving a device that provide a quantitative and quick assessment of the environmental DNA concentration with a portable equipment.
The former approach will exploit a patented protocol based on the specific aggregation of gold nanoparticles that will be functionalized to recognize well-defined DNA bases. In particular, it will we possible to assess the presence of DNA by the change of the colour of a colloidal solution. The latter method will exploit the PEF occurring when a fluorophore is placed nearby a nanostructured surface. The DNA concentration will be assessed through the measurement of the fluorescence emitted by a fluorophore linked to the terminal part of the DNA target.
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The PhD in Biotechnology has the mission to train highly educated students on Biotechnological Process. To achieve this goal, the PhD course combines the theoretical knowoledge with practice tools on the modern Biotechnology. The education path developes the following skills within the student:
- Advanced molecular and cellular knowledge on biological systems;
- Fundamentals of process development for biotechnological applications;
- Research metholodology aimed at developing innovation in biotechology;
- Knolwdge of legislation, deonthology and ethics issues in the field of biotechnology;
- Managment and coordination of human resourses as well as technical tools and materials involved in the development of biotechonological applications;
- Advanced knowledge and scientific practice of at least one language (preferably english) from a EU country other than Italy;
- Managment and communication of up-to-date information in biotechnology.
The members of the Board of Teachers belong to the Dept of Chemical Sciences, Biology, Agriculture, Pharmacy, Chemical, Materials and Industrial Production Engineering. The Board of Teachers includes also several members from prestigious foreign universities. Moreover, the PhD commission always includes two foreign members. Indeed the PhD course has a strong international footprint, being subsidised on this aspect by the Italian Minister of Education and University (MIUR) and keeping several connection and relationship with excellences coming from foreign Universities or Research Institues. Thanks to a long lasting relationship between the "An-Najah National University", Nablus, Palestine and the University of Naples "Federico II" in the field of higher education and scientific research, the PhD course in Biotechnology reserves a position in each cycle for students graduated at the An-Najah University.
The heterogeneity and trasversality of the professional competences point out the multidisciplinarity of both the topics and the methodologies of the research fields, which are specifically suited for industrial application. This represent a clear peculiarity of the PhD in Biotechnology with respect to the other PhD courses at University of Napoli Federico II.
Moreover the PhD route is based also on several connections established by the members of the commissions with industrial environment at regional, national and international level. A specific PhD program mainly established in regional SME is also active ("Dottorato in azienda"), which fooster the connection between the PhD student and the local industrial substrate.
The PhD students in Botechnology have been sensibly appreciated in their specific research field by the academic community and private companies. As an example, the number and quality of pubblications achieved by the PhD students is very high with respect to other similar PhD courses and the Thesis level is approved by an international commission. The evaluation panel of the University has always graded the PhD in biotechnology at the highest positions within the list of all the PhD courses.
Since 2018 the PhD in Biotechnology dedicates a scholarship to the memory of Giulio Regeni.
 | Main Universities and Research Institutes scientifically collaborating with the PhD course in Biotechnology : |
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 | Aix Marseille Université Marseille, France | |
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 | An-Najah National University Nablus, Palestine | |
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 | Beuth University of Applied Sciences Berlin, Germany | |
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 | Gdansk University of Technology (Politechnika Gdanska) Gdansk, Poland | |
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 | Lisbon Unversity (ULisboa) Lisbon, Portugal | |
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 | Newcastle University Newcastle, UK | |
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 | Universidad Complutense de Madrid Madrid, Spain | |
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 | UPenn (University of Pennsylvania) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA | |
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 | Western University London, Ontario, Canada | |
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A survey on the enployment of the PhDs in Biotechnology, over 90 people who got the title from 2011 to 2020, revealed that:
 | - The average time for employment is 4 months. (Only three PhDs had no position one year after the defense of the thesis.) - 70% found a position in Italy, 28% found a position in Europe and 2% found a position in US | ||
These data show that the training of the PhD in Biotechnology fully meets the needs of the research community (public and private) and of the business world, contributing to the training of a professional figure who does not encounter difficulties in finding a job.
The PhD in Biotechnology was born in 2001 with the mission to answer at the demand of new professionalities in Biotechnology as a new discipline involved in several research fileds in public and prvate sectors in the world. In the next years the course started to belong to the PhD school in Biotechnology, which was constitued by three routes: Industrial and Molecular Biotechnology, Medical Biotechnology, and Agricultural Biotechnology. since the 29th cycle (2014-2017) the former PhD course in Bioechnology has been reconstituted.
