Raffaele Mezzenga: Catalogue data in Autumn Semester 2022

Name Prof. Dr. Raffaele Mezzenga
FieldLebensmittel und Weiche Materialien
Address
Inst.f. Lebensm.wiss.,Ern.,Ges.
ETH Zürich, LFO E 23
Schmelzbergstrasse 9
8092 Zürich
SWITZERLAND
Telephone+41 44 632 91 40
E-mailraffaele.mezzenga@hest.ethz.ch
DepartmentHealth Sciences and Technology
RelationshipFull Professor

NumberTitleECTSHoursLecturers
551-0357-00LCellular Matters: From Milestones to Open Questions
The number of participants is limited to 22 and will only take place with a minimum of 11 participants.
Please sign up until two weeks before the beginning of the semester (for Autumn 2022: by 05.09.2022 end of day) via e-mail to Link using in the subject: 551-0357-00. In the email body indicate 1) your name, 2) your e-mail address, 3) master/PhD program. The students admitted to this seminar will be informed by e-mail in the week prior to the beginning of the semester.

The first lecture will serve to form groups of students and assign papers.
4 credits2SY. Barral, F. Allain, P. Arosio, E. Dufresne, D. Hilvert, M. Jagannathan, R. Mezzenga, T. Michaels, G. Neurohr, R. Riek, A. E. Smith, K. Weis, H. Wennemers
AbstractIn this course, the students will explore the quite new topic of biomolecular condensates.
Concepts and tools from biology, chemistry, biophysics and soft materials will be used, on one hand, to develop an understanding of the biological properties and functions of biomolecular condensates in health and disease, while, on the other, to inspire new materials.
ObjectiveIn terms of content, you, the student, after a general introduction to the topic, will learn about milestone works and current research questions in the young field of biomolecular condensates (properties, functions and applications) from an interdisciplinary point of view in a course which is a combination of literature (presentations given by pairs of students with different scientific backgrounds) and research seminars (presentations given by the lecturers all active experts in the field, with different backgrounds and expertise).
As to the skills, you will have the opportunity to learn how to critically read and evaluate scientific literature, how to give scientific presentations to an interdisciplinary audience (each presentation consisting of an introduction, critical description of the results and discussion of their significance) and substantiate your statements, acquire a critical mindset (pros/cons of chosen approaches/methods and limitations, quality of the data, solidity of the conclusions, possible follow-up experiments) that allows you to ask relevant questions and actively participate to the discussion.
With the final presentation you will have the unique opportunity to interact closely with the interdisciplinary group of lecturers (all internationally well-established experts) who will guide you in the choice of a subtopic and related literature.
ContentIn the last decade a new kind of compartments within the cell, the so-called biomolecular condensates, have been observed. This discovery is radically changing our understanding of the cell, its organization and dynamics. The emerging picture is that the cytoplasm and nucleoplasm are highly complex fluids that can (meta)stably segregate into membrane-less sub-compartments, similarly to emulsions.

The topic of biomolecular condensates goes beyond the boundaries of traditional disciplines and needs a multi-pronged approach that levers on, and cross-fertilizes, biology, physical chemistry, biophysics and soft materials to develop a proper understanding of the properties, functions in health and disease (Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, etc.), as well as possible applications of these biomolecular condensates.

Each week the lecture will consist of:
1) a short literature seminar: Pairs of students from different scientific backgrounds will be formed and assigned beforehand to present milestone literature to the class and facilitate the ensuing discussion. In the first class the pairs will be formed, the milestone papers made known to the whole class and assigned to the pairs.
2) a research seminar: the presentation of the milestone literature will serve as the introduction to the lecture by one of the lecturers of the course on their own state-of-the-art research in the field.
Lecture notesThe presentations will be made available after the lectures.
LiteratureThe milestone papers will be provided in advance.
For the final examination, the students will be helped by the lecturers in identifying a research topic and related literature.
CompetenciesCompetencies
Subject-specific CompetenciesConcepts and Theoriesassessed
Techniques and Technologiesassessed
Method-specific CompetenciesAnalytical Competenciesassessed
Decision-makingfostered
Media and Digital Technologiesfostered
Problem-solvingfostered
Project Managementfostered
Social CompetenciesCommunicationassessed
Cooperation and Teamworkassessed
Customer Orientationfostered
Leadership and Responsibilityassessed
Self-presentation and Social Influence fostered
Sensitivity to Diversityfostered
Negotiationfostered
Personal CompetenciesAdaptability and Flexibilityfostered
Creative Thinkingassessed
Critical Thinkingassessed
Integrity and Work Ethicsfostered
Self-awareness and Self-reflection fostered
Self-direction and Self-management fostered
752-2000-00LFood Materials Science4 credits3GR. Mezzenga, G. Nyström
AbstractPrinciples of soft condensed matter applied to food polymers, surfactants and colloids
ObjectiveUnderstanding the fundamental physical principles ruling the self-assembly, aggregation, processing and structure-properties relationship in food systems constituted by polysaccharides (polymers), proteins (colloids) and lipids (surfactants).
752-2314-00LPhysics of Food Colloids3 credits2VP. A. Fischer, R. Mezzenga
AbstractIn Physics of Food Colloids the principles of colloid science will applied to the aggregation of food materials based on proteins, polysaccharides, and emulsifiers. Mixtures of such raw material determine the appearance and performance of our daily food. In a number of examples, colloidal laws are linked to food science and the manufacturing and processing of food.
ObjectiveThe aggregation of food material determines the appearance and performance of complex food system as well as nutritional aspects. The underlying colloidal laws reflect the structure of the individual raw material (length scale, time scale, and interacting forces). Once these concepts are appreciated the aggregation of most food systems falls into recognizable patterns that can be used to modify and structure exiting food or to design new products. The application and use of these concepts are discussed in light of common food production.
ContentLectures include interfacial tension (4h), protein aggregation in bulk and interfaces (4h), Pickering emulsions (2h), gels (2h), aggregation of complex mixtures (4h), and the use of light scattering in investigation complex food structures (8h). Most chapters include some hand-ons examples of the gain knowledge to common food products.
Lecture notesNotes will be handed out during the lectures.
LiteratureProvided in the lecture notes.