The second cycle degree course in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology is part of a Sienese tradition connected to biotechnology (therapeutics, vaccines, diagnostics and biomaterials) with a strong emphasis on pharmaceuticals and close connections with the local area due to the presence of important biotech companies, all of which are involved in the course activities.
The course aims to train specialized professionals with appropriate knowledge of and ability to apply approaches, techniques and methods in the various sectors of pharmaceutical biotechnology, for the design and optimization of drugs, cosmetics, diagnostics and vaccines.
The course objectives have also been defined so that the course contents reflect the scientific research and development activities carried out by local companies and bodies as closely as possible, in order to facilitate graduates’ transition to the world of work or their subsequent acquisition of a further academic qualification.
The course comprises a core curriculum (to provide knowledge of the concepts and operating processes related to the design, production, control and employment of biotechnology products for therapy, diagnosis and cosmetics) and is completed by a specific specialization phase in the form of experimental research carried out in specialised research laboratories.
The body of knowledge and skills described above, acquired by students during classroom lessons and in laboratory work and integrated by experimental research, renders them highly specialized professionals in the field of pharmaceutical biotechnology, capable of occupying positions of responsibility in the research, development and production sectors of public and private companies.
In particular, graduates in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology can:

1. work self-sufficiently to promote and develop scientific and technological innovation in the field of biotechnology applied to pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, cosmetics, biomaterials and vaccines;
2. design and apply scientific and biotechnological methods with which to create and develop innovative drugs, for the diagnosis of human and animal diseases, and for the acquisition of  biomaterials with which to replace tissues and organs;
3. organize and coordinate the realization of experimental protocols for the production of biotechnology drugs and new pharmaceutical products and their analysis, identification and characterization, formulation and delivery. Employment opportunities lie in sectors dealing with application in the pharmaceutical industry and in the design, production and control of biotechnology drugs and vaccines; in the development of diagnostics, cosmetics and biomaterials; in the design and development of biological systems for the production of new agents of diagnostic and therapeutic interest;
4. work in companies dealing with advanced products and services for human health (in the sectors of pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, cosmetics and biomaterials); in laboratories performing biotechnological, chemical, and biological analyses; as consultants in specific biotechnology sectors; in public or private, national or international research institutes or companies, in the field of biotechnology applied to pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, vaccines and biomaterials;
5. become teachers at various levels of education, upon completion of further specific training and educational courses.

Identification of training requirements

The need to train second cycle graduates in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology arises from the necessity to meet the demand of students graduating from first cycle degrees at the University of Siena and other universities who wish to continue with their education, like that of the students currently enrolled on the second cycle degree in Biotechnologies for Human Health, some of whom previously completed the first cycle interfaculty degree in Biotechnology at our University, while others come from other courses or universities.
Another fundamental reason lies in the entrepreneurial vitality and consequent demand for human resources of the many local small and medium sized enterprises operating in the fields of biotechnology, pharmaceutics, diagnostics and biomaterials, as well as the presence of large companies in the sector of pharmaceuticals and vaccines.
The second cycle degree in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology therefore represents our University’s response to the training requirements of young people and to the demand for highly qualified personnel expressed by local and non-local enterprises.
To ensure the effective coherence between the programme contents and the demands of the world of work, the programme includes training activities that provide students with in-depth knowledge in specific sectors related to the demand for practical application in the world of work, or permit them to continue their studies in doctoral or other postgraduate programmes.

Background to the new course

The establishment of the second cycle degree course in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology is strongly linked to the presence of important biotechnology companies in the province of Siena, many of which have actively collaborated in the planning of the course (Siena Biotech, Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics, the Novartis Vaccines Institute for Global Health, Diesse Diagnostica Senese, Biosynth, Philogen, TLS, Molteni Therapeutics, Biosuma). Biotechnology in Siena has a strictly pharmaceutical emphasis, being focused on research, production and commercialization of therapeutics, vaccines, diagnostics and biomaterials. From this point of view, Pharmacy is the obvious Faculty of choice in which to propose a specific second cycle degree course, as it possesses all the necessary cultural and technological requisites. The Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Siena has a strong tradition of teaching biotechnology, having begun years ago with the establishment of a biotechnology specialization school (subsequently converted into a degree course), and is currently the Faculty that coordinates the interfaculty degree course in Biotechnologies for Human Health, established in the academic year 2008-2009.
The new second cycle degree course in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology will provide training focusing on the biotechnological and pharmaceutical skills required and sought by the network of related industries. The Faculty of Pharmacy also offers a range of opportunities for post-graduate training in the field of biotechnology.
Courses are held in English to encourage the attendance of overseas students, thus ensuring a high level of internationalization of the programme and broadening the employment opportunities for graduates both nationally and internationally, in private or public organizations.

Educational programme and specific goals

The main goal of the Laurea Magistrale programme in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology is to train graduates with appropriate knowledge of approaches, techniques and methodologies in the various fields of pharmaceutical biotechnology, for the design and optimization of drugs, cosmetics, diagnostics, and vaccines. To this end, the aim of the Laurea Magistrale programme as a whole is to ensure that its graduates gain the specific expertise and skills necessary for their entrance into the world of work, or for the acquisition of a higher academic degree.
The general main objectives consist in the acquisition of in-depth knowledge of and the ability to apply methodologies for the production, development, analysis and pharmacological and toxicological evaluation of biotechnological molecules and biomaterials of pharmaceutical, diagnostic and cosmetic interest. Moreover, graduates are required to have a sound knowledge of and the ability to apply methodologies for drug formulation and delivery, as well as the relative national and international laws and rules.
The objectives of the Laurea Magistrale programme have been defined taking into account the need for graduates’ training to be in line with the requirements of local companies working in drug and vaccine research and development.
The first phase of the Laurea Magistrale programme provides students with knowledge of concepts and operating processes related to the design, production, quality assurance and application of biotechnology products for therapy, diagnostics and cosmetics. In this phase, students acquire:

1. in-depth knowledge of molecular and cellular physiology and physiopathology;
2. knowledge of molecular biotechnology and genomic and post-genomic analysis;
3. knowledge of the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of biotechnology drugs, as well as expertise in experimental pharmacology and toxicology;
4. knowledge and expertise concerning molecular modelling for the rational design of molecules of pharmaceutical interest;
5. knowledge of molecular microbiology for the discovery of new drugs;
6. expertise in the field of biotechnology applied to vaccines;
7. knowledge related to the industrial production of biotechnology drugs, including fermentation biotechnology;
8. knowledge and expertise concerning biotechnology applications in the field of biomaterials and their biocompatibility;
9. knowledge of bioorganic chemistry and expertise in the chemical analysis of biodrugs, diagnostics and vaccines;
10. knowledge of biotechnology concepts, tools and techniques applied to cosmetics.

Job opportunities

Graduates with a Laurea Magistrale in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology have expertise in the application of techniques for the design of innovative molecules in the pharmaceutical field, and in the preparation of products for human and animal health using biotechnology methods. They can manage biotechnology laboratories and coordinate (also at the decision-making and administrative level) the application and development of biotechnologies for the production of vaccines and the identification of new compounds of pharmaceutical interest, taking into account technical, legal, ethical and economic aspects.
Graduates with a Laurea Magistrale degree in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology can occupy positions of responsibility in the world of work due to their high level of scientific and technological knowledge and experience, combined with the sound knowledge of English they will have gained during the two-year programme. This sound knowledge of the English language (higher than level B2 required for admission to the programme) will allow graduates with a Laurea Magistrale degree in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology to take advantage of job opportunities at the local and international level, both in public organizations and private companies. In particular, they can:

1. autonomously promote and develop scientific and technological innovation in the field of biotechnology applied to pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, cosmetics, biomaterials and vaccines;
2. design and apply scientific and technological methods with which to create and develop innovative drugs, for the diagnosis of human and animal diseases, and to obtain biomaterials with which to replace tissues and organs;
3. organize and coordinate the realization of experimental protocols for the production of biotechnology drugs and new pharmaceutical products and their analysis, identification and characterization, formulation and delivery. Employment opportunities will lie in sectors dealing with application in the pharmaceutical industry and in the design, production and control of biotechnology drugs and vaccines; in the development of diagnostics, cosmetics and biomaterials; in the design and development of biological systems for the production of new agents of diagnostic and therapeutic interest;
4. become teachers at various levels of education, upon completion of further specific training and educational courses.