Summary: Lectures and practicals in general laboratory safety procedures, equipment use, and basic first aid. 
Description: Legally required basic (4 hours) and specific (8 hours) training in health and safety and risks connected to work activities.
Skills acquired: knowledge of basic chemical manipulation, laboratory skills, biological hazards, fire and radiation safety and basic first aid. 

Notes and Pre-requisites: Mandatory for all PhD students (unless certificate of previous courses available or no access to laboratory)
Calendar: low risk course is available online - for the editions of the medium risk course please refer to phd.aes@unitn.it

Lecturer(s): Ilaria Pertot
N hours: 10+10
ECTS: 2 

Summary: Basic knowledge on how to prepare a research project for my PhD. The main sections are: how to carry out the literature search and demonstrate the progress beyond the state of the art, how to define the aim and the specific objectives, what are the main steps to build the workpackages and relevant sections, Gannt chart, deliverables, milestones, contingency plan and other tools (10 hours lesson and 10 hours for the draft project preparation). Useful support for the PhD project preparation: the practical part will specifically focus on the PhD project of the student.

Learned Evaluation procedure: Project proposal
Notes and Pre-requisites: 1st Year PhD students
Schedule:  online classes - see courses calendar for details - link for connection will be sent directly by the lecturer before online classes

Registration procedure: in order to register in the course, please write an e-mail request to phd.aes@unitn.it

Lecturer(s): Gianfranco Anfora, Valerio Mazzoni, Rachele Nieri, Marco Valerio Rossi Stacconi
N hours: 12
ECTS: 1,5

Summary: The course will give an overview about innovative and consolidated techniques of behavioral manipulation for the control of crop insects.

Module 1 (3 hours): Principles of insects’ behaviour and communication. The aim of this module is to provide the students with a clear understanding of the main concepts of behavioral ecology that will be used in the subsequent modules. The main topics are theory of animal communication, terminology and methodologies to investigate insect perception and communication modalities.
Module 2 (6 hours): Techniques of behavioral manipulation.  The aim of this module is to provide expertise on the principles of plant protection strategies alternative to the use of synthetic chemicals. Techniques based on the use of semiochemicals, semiophysicals and sterile insect technique will be treated.
Module 3 (3 hours):  Techniques of biological control. The module aims to provide critical understanding of the different biocontrol approaches that can be adopted for insect pest management. The module will address the day-to-day concerns of biocontrol practitioners, including how to rear and release a control organism, suppress the target organism, and minimize harm to non-target organisms.
 

Skills acquired: knowledge of the pioneering low impact techniques for the integrated and organic management of insect pests (i.e. semiochemicals, natural enemies, biotremology,); their mode of action, their application strategies, the advantages and disadvantages deriving from their application.

Learned Evaluation procedure: Final written test
Notes and Pre-requisites: Any year
Schedule:   15-18 December 2025 -  Meeting Room - FEM - Palazzina di fitopatologia -  see courses calendar for details

Registration procedure: in order to register in the course, please write an e-mail request to phd.aes@unitn.it

Lecturer(s): Rachele Nieri, Roberto Rosà
N hours: 16
ECTS: 2 

Summary: 8 hours of lectures on the basis of eco-epidemiological models with application both in agriculture and public health. 8 hours of practical exercises with software R using experimental data from agriculture and public health case studies.

Description: this course will provide an insight on the development and analysis of ecological and epidemiological models with applications in agriculture and public health

Skills acquired: conceptual ideas and mathematical tools needed for implementing ecological and epidemiological models, especially population dynamic models as well as epidemiological models.

Learned Evaluation procedure: presentation on a topic agreed with the student
Notes and Pre-requisites: 2nd year Students are expected to know the basic concepts of mathematics and statistics. Prior knowledge of open source software R use is also required

Schedule:  12 - 23 January - location: C3A/FEM - see courses calendar for details

Registration procedure: in order to register in the course, please write an e-mail request to phd.aes@unitn.it

Lecturer(s): Emanuela Bozzini, Francesca Forno, Natalia Magnani
N hours: 24
ECTS: 3

Summary: The objective of this course is to critically discuss the transformations in patterns and practices of production and consumption, giving particular attention to sustainability ideas and practices. The class will be articulated in three main modules (8 hours each).
Module 1 (8 hours): Overview of long-term trends in agricultural production and its sustainability
Skills acquired: Knowledge on historical trends in agricultural production, resource use, chemical input across world regions; knowledge on issues of sustainability of current agricultural systems in relation to demography, urbanization and resource depletion.
Module 2 (8 hours): Consumer Culture and Society. This module offers the opportunity to engage with sociological theories of consumption and contemporary consumer society.  
Skills acquired: Familiarity with sociological concepts to investigate changes in consumption practices and lifestyles, with a special attention on food consumption trends. The focus will be on the practice of consumption with regard to lifestyle, consumer subjectivity, meaning making, sustainability and ‘food diversity’.

Module 3 (8 hours): Social innovation and sustainability. The module aims to introduce students to sociological theories and debates concerning the development of social innovation for sustainability.
Skills acquired: familiarity with debates on sustainability and social innovation, with a special attention to food and food systems.

Learned Evaluation procedure: Final written report or presentation
Notes and Pre-requisites: 1st Year Students
Schedule: 12-18 January 2026 - location SRS - see courses calendar for details

Registration procedure: in order to register in the course, please write an e-mail request to phd.aes@unitn.it

Lecturer(s): Simone Cerroni
N hours: 24 (21 hours classes + 3 hours final exam/presentation)
ECTS: 3

Summary: The course provides students with an in-depth description of state-of the-art methods and tools that are used to study the behaviour of various stakeholders involved in the food supply chains, including their behavioural response to agri-environmental policy interventions. Among other methods the focus will focus on survey experiments, economic experiments and randomised control trials. The course also provides principles of statistics and econometrics to be used in data analysis. Classes will consist of 7 standard frontal lectures, 1 tutorial on statistics and econometrics, 1 tutorial on research ethics in policy evaluation, and 3 interactive practical lectures.

Skills acquired: The course will improve knowledge and understanding of new trends and policies in the agri-food sector. Students will familiarise with methods and tools for better understanding agricultural agents’ behavioural response to these policies. Strengths and limitations of these methods will be covered to stimulate critical thinking and the elaboration of new research ideas. The course also aims to improve students’ knowledge and understanding of principles of statistics and econometrics applied to evaluation problems.

Learned Evaluation procedure: - Oral presentation of an academic paper (20%)
- Oral presentation and short report on the development of an experimental protocol (40%)
- Oral presentation and short report on conducted data analysis (40%)

Notes and Pre-requisites: 1st Year PhD Students
Schedule: May 2026 - final schedule not yet defined - location: DEM - see courses calendar for details

Registration procedure: in order to register in the course, please write an e-mail request to phd.aes@unitn.it

Lecturer(s): Rachele Nieri; Valerio Mazzoni
N hours: 12
ECTS: 1,5

Summary: The course will introduce the main concepts of the study of vibrational communication in animals, biotremology, from theory to methodological aspects.

Module 1 (3 hours) - Theory of biotremology: concept of wave, sounds and vibrations, semiophysicals (pherodones and allelodones), reception and emission of vibrations, active space, behaviours mediated by vibrations. 

Module 2 (9 hours) - Practical aspects: main equipment to acquire and playback vibrational stimuli, main softwares for data acquisition and analysis, principles of data analysis. Most part of module 2 will be carried out in the laboratory of biotremology.

Skills acquired: 1) To differentiate biotremology and bioacoustics, to list the main behaviours mediated by vibrations and to recognize ecological context in which vibrations are relevant.
2) To set up an experiment to acquire vibrational data and to analyse and interpret results.
3)To design a playback and perform a playback experiment

Learned Evaluation procedure: Oral presentation: experimental design of a biotremology study (field of application chosen by the student) 
Notes and Pre-requisites: --
Schedule: 26, 28, 30 January and 2 February 2026 - location: FEM - timetable: see PhD courses calendar for details

Registration procedure: in order to register in the course, please write an e-mail request to phd.aes@unitn.it

Lecturer(s): Silvia Carlin, Panagiotis Arapitsas, Eugenio Aprea
N hours: 8
ECTS: 1

Summary: This course provides a comprehensive and critical examination of the most influential molecules in wine quality, focusing on volatile compounds and polyphenols. Students will delve into the biochemistry, origin, evolution, and sensory impact of these key chemical families throughout the winemaking process, from grape development to bottle aging.
A major emphasis will be placed on the advanced analytical instrumentation and methodologies essential for the identification, separation, and quantification of these complex compounds in the challenging wine matrix.
Key Topics Covered:
●    Volatile Compounds (Aroma Chemistry):
○    Classification and origin (varietal, fermentative, and aging aromas).
○    Biochemical pathways for the formation and degradation of key aroma compounds (e.g., esters, terpenes, aldehydes, volatile phenols, sulfur-containing compounds).
○    Wine and Multisensory Perception – Beyond Aroma.
●    Polyphenols (Color, Taste, and Health):
○    Classification/Biosynthesis/Biosynthesis (flavonoids: anthocyanins, flavan-3-ols/tannins; non-flavonoids: stilbenes, phenolic acids).
○    Evolution during grape ripening, winemaking grape ripening, winemaking, and wine wine aging.
○    Role in wine color, tastetaste, and longevitylongevity.
●    Advanced Analytical Instruments and Techniques:
○    Sample Preparation: Modern techniques for analyte isolation, concentration, and cleanup, including Solid-Phase Microextraction (SPME) and Solid-Phase Extraction (SPE).
○    Separation Science, Detection and Identification: Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (UPLC), Gas Chromatography (GC-GCXGC-GC-O) and Mass Spectrometry (MS/MS, High-Resolution MS), Diode-Array Detection (DAD)
○    Chemometrics: Application of multivariate statistical methods for data analysis, classification, and quality control.). 

Learned Evaluation procedure: Oral presentation of a scientific talk.
Notes and Pre-requisites: --
Schedule: 2 -6 March 2026 - location: FEM - timetable: see courses Calendar for details

Registration procedure: in order to register in the course, please write an e-mail request to phd.aes@unitn.it

Lecturer(s): M. Tolotti, M.C. Bruno, W. Bertoldi, G. Zolezzi
N hours: 24
ECTS: 3

Summary: The course provides an insight on the physical, chemical, ecological and biological properties and dynamics of freshwater ecosystem, considering natural conditions (Module 1) and the effects of human stressors (Module 2). Specific case studies of different freshwater ecosystems will provide examples of the possible methodological approaches.

Module 1 (12 hours):  Aquatic ecosystem in natural conditions. This module addresses the main variables and processes driving the habitat dynamics in natural freshwater ecosystems.

Skills acquired: ability to describe and interpret aquatic habitats in running waters and lakes, across time and space, including physical, chemical, morphological variables, such as flow, temperature, nutrients, and foodweb descriptors and the effects of vegetation on the above.

Module 2 (12 hours): Aquatic ecosystem under direct and indirect human stressors. This module provides insight on direct (e.g., pollution, water withdrawals, engineering) and indirect (land use and climate change). 

Skills acquired: methods to recognize and quantify stressors such as source and point pollution, hydro-morphological alterations, thermal alterations, extinction and creation of habitats; methods for mitigation /restoration strategies (e-flows, morphological restoration, sediment augmentation).

Learned Evaluation procedure: Oral presentation of a scientific paper chosen by the PhD student.
Notes and Pre-requisites: 1
Schedule: 2-6/02/2026 - location: DICAM Room 1H - timetable: see courses Calendar for details

Registration procedure: in order to register in the course, please write an e-mail request to phd.aes@unitn.it

Lecturer(s): Michele Faralli; Michele Perazzolli
N hours: 20 (final exam included)
ECTS: 2

Summary: The aim of the course is to provide in-depth concepts on crop physiological responses to the complex interplay between climate change variables. Specific efforts will be placed in understanding physiological mechanisms underlying stress tolerance and potential management approaches for protecting grapevine from the naturally occurring multifactorial stress combination.  

Module 1. Introduction to climate change: time to reschedule the agricultural agenda (3 hours, prof. Faralli).
Module 2. Effects of multifactorial stress combination on tree crops (3 hours, prof. Faralli).
Module 3. Manipulating physiology to cheat climate: viticulture for wines tailored for shifting markets (3 hours, prof. Faralli). 
Module 4. Linking leaf physiology with plant microbiome (4 hours, prof.  Perazzolli)
Module 5. EAdvances in physiological analysis, crop phenotyping and experimental design in crop physiology (3 hours, prof. Faralli)

Learned Evaluation procedure: Oral presentation where students should be able to present a putative project on fruit crop and climate change: defining overlooked questions, construct your own hypothesis, build the route to solve agricultural-related problems (4 hours).
Notes and Pre-requisites: 1st and 2nd Year PhD students
Schedule: February - March 2026 - Location FEM - see PhD courses calendar 2025/26 for details

Registration procedure: in order to register in the course, please write an e-mail request to phd.aes@unitn.it

Lecturer(s): Omar Rota Stabelli
N hours: 16 
ECTS: 2

Summary: Evolution can deepen our understanding of biological processes by revealing how things come to be the way we currently observe them. Useful methods are those based on phylogenetic inferences. The aim of the course is to understand the principles of some of these methods (Bayesian inference of phylogeny, molecular clock, strain level phylogenies) and how to apply them to animal, fungal, and bacterial studies. The course is structured in 6 hours per day in 3 successive days with a combination of lectures, hands-on, discussion and presentations.

Skills acquired: an overview of the practical tools for studying the evolution of genes and the diversification of species (advanced molecular phylogenetics, phylometabarcoding, estimates of divergence times using molecular clocks); skills in presenting and discussing scientific articles that use phylogenetic methods.

Learned Evaluation procedure: evaluation of presentation and active discussion
Notes and Pre-requisites: --
Schedule: 24-25-26/02/2026 - location: PRC-FEM (Room to be defined) - timetable: 13.30-18.30 - see courses calendar for details

Registration procedure: in order to register in the course, please write an e-mail request to phd.aes@unitn.it

Lecturer(s): Fabrizio Costa, Nicola Busatto
N hours: 16
ECTS: 2

Summary: The course will provide the basics of fruit physiology and ripening.
Module 1 (8 hours): Fruit ripening physiology. This module will provide a general description of the type of fruits and their mode of ripening. The interplay between different hormones in regulating the fruit ripening will be discussed, introducing, moreover, the genetic analysis addressed to the detection of the main loci controlling fruit ripening related pathways. 

Skills acquired: knowledge of ripening physiology and the interplay among several hormones.

Module 2 (8 hours): Genetic regulation of fruit ripening. This module will present the road map of the functional analysis carried out to date to disclose the main regulating mechanisms of fruit ripening. The state of the art of the molecular and biotech techniques used to date to investigate the fruit ripening processes will be also discussed, from recombinant DNA to OMIC approaches. 
Skills acquired: investigation of the molecular mechanisms regulating fruit ripening using the most advanced biotechnology approaches.

Learned Evaluation procedure: oral presentation
Notes and Pre-requisites: 1st Year Students
Schedule: 9 February/13 March 2026 - location FEM - see courses calendar for timetable details 

Registration procedure: in order to register in the course, please write an e-mail request to phd.aes@unitn.it

Lecturer(s): F. Cagnacci, F. Ossi, A. Corradini, V. Iorio
N hours: 24
ECTS: 3

Summary: Conservation biology strives to describe, understand, and forecast biodiversity dynamics by applying ecological and evolutionary theory within the contexts of resource management, economics, sociology and political science. This course will explore the motivation for preserving biodiversity at all levels (genetic, species, ecosystem), available decision-making tools, and the consequences of various interventions, covering mainly terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems and including wild animal and plant species.

Module 1 (8 hours) Principles of conservation biology. We have entered the Anthropocene, the Era of humans, where human impact is widespread in all biomes. The module will cover the essentials of conservation biology science, its area of application, and the analysis of major threats of humans on ecosystems.
Skills acquired: theory of conservation biology and fields of application.
Module 2 (8 hours) Conservation of terrestrial mammals in the Alps. The module will use the principle acquired in Module 1 to analyse conservation cases of terrestrial mammals in the Alpine range.
Skills acquired: application of conservation biology theory to terrestrial mammals
Module 3 (8 hours) Conservation genetics. The interactive module will focus on the application of genetics, genomics and metagenomics to conservation science, including wildlife forensics, and the importance of preserving genetic variation.
Skills acquired: principles of conservation genetics/genomics with practical examples of current research, and active discussion of case studies
 

Learned Evaluation procedure: Project exam (problem-solution analysis) with written part and presentation for Outreach
Notes and Pre-requisites: NA
Schedule:  10,17,24/02 and 6/03 - online course - see PhD courses Calendar for details

Registration procedure: in order to register in the course, please write an e-mail request to phd.aes@unitn.it

Lecturer(s): Fabrizio Costa, Silvia Vezzulli, Umberto Salvagnin
N hours: 24
ECTS: 3

Summary: Agriculture is the biological foundation of human civilization, the basis of human life on earth. Crops have been continuously shaped, initially by natural driving force, then by the food and feed needs. All these changes rely on the modification of the genetic background and the selection of the most favourable individuals, considering also their interaction with the environment. In the current agricultural system, crops are on the front line, experiencing climate change and political decisions. Genetic improvement and breeding represent to date the most valuable strategies to guarantee food security and safety, beside a sustainable crop production.
This course will illustrate the origin of agriculture and genetics, providing the base of plant breeding. In a second part, the most recent techniques of molecular plant breeding will be illustrated, focusing on how modern biotechnological strategies have been applied to genetically improve the crops at the base of our agriculture and food production.
The students will be guided to the principle undertaking the control of important agricultural traits and the basic schemes of breeding. Following the introductory part, the several DNA-based approaches employed to support the selection phase of breeding and the identification of the genomic regions controlling the most relevant trait of interest will be presented. The course will end discussing the most recent breeding technologies with a particular focus on genome editing.
The course consists of:
Module I: Principles of Genetics and Quantitative Genetics (16 h, Costa F.)
Module II: Excursus on Molecular Markers (4 h, Vezzulli S.) 
Module III: New Genomic Techniques (4 h, Salvagnin U.)

Learned Evaluation procedure: oral presentation
Notes and Pre-requisites: 1st and 2nd year
Schedule: 10/02-26/03/2026 - location FEM - see PhD courses classes calendar for details

Lecturer(s): Ilaria Pertot, Gerardo Puopolo
N hours: 10 (+6)
ECTS: 2

Summary: How to structure a manuscript logically and with effective storytelling, how to prepare your manuscript for publication (main sections, good practices, main mistakes), what are the considerations to do before sending your manuscript to a scientific journal (submission to a journal), what happens to your scientific manuscript after you submit it (process and role of editor and reviewers).

Learned Evaluation procedure: Practical assignment completed and correct 
Notes and Pre-requisites: Any year, preferably 2nd or 3rd year PhD Students
Schedule: 17-20 March 2026 - location: FEM/online - see PhD courses classes calendar for details

Registration procedure: in order to register in the course, please write an e-mail request to phd.aes@unitn.it

Lecturer(s): Ilaria Pertot, Michele Perazzolli, Gerardo Puopolo, Emanuela Bozzini  
N hours: 16
ECTS: 2

Summary: The course will give an overview about regulation aspects and innovative procedures for the control of plant pathogens and insects on major crops.

Module 1 (8 hours): Regulatory provisions on pesticides and biopesticides. This module will provide details on novel regulatory provisions on plant protection products and sustainable use of pesticides with a focus on the European Union.

Skills acquired: knowledge of policy principles and provisions informing EU regulation on plant protection products.

Module 2 (8 hours): Innovative approaches for pathogen control. This module will provide details on innovative approaches to control plant pathogens.

Skills acquired: knowledge of new generation tools for biological control of pathogens.

Skills acquired: knowledge of the pioneering low impact techniques for the integrated management of phytopathogens; to learn the main types of existing biopesticides, their mode of action, their application strategies, the advantages and disadvantages deriving from their application.

Learned Evaluation procedure: Final written test
Notes and Pre-requisites: 1st year and 2nd Year PhD students
Schedule:  4,5,11,12 March 2026 - location C3A and online - see PhD Courses Classes calendar for details

Registration procedure: in order to register in the course, please write an e-mail request to phd.aes@unitn.it

Lecturer(s): Ilaria Pertot
N hours: 4 (+16)
ECTS: 2

Summary: Advanced knowledge on how to prepare a research project proposal for a Post Doc application. The course is specifically targeting post-doc single positions projects or small teams projects. The EU funding scheme) and the evaluation process. In particular the course will focus of examples of best practices to prepare a competitive proposal, by avoiding common mistakes. Opportunities for project proposal application (4 hours lesson and 16 hours project preparation).
Overview of the funding opportunities in the new Horizon EU, with particular  focus on MCSA post-doc and ERC starting grant. The course is organised with a minimum of 5 participants. The course is particularly recommended for second and third year students, but can also be attended by students of the first year after completing the basic course.
Skills acquired: By the end of this course, students will be able to, understand and interpret evaluation criteria, distinguish between concepts such as excellence, impact and implementation, critically assess their proposal content, effectively write the CV, skills and professional experience in relation to a proposal, prepare credible and relevant dissemination, exploitation, communication and public engagement measures, and intellectual property management, analyze how project results can contribute to scientific, economic/technological, and societal outcomes beyond the project duration, design measures that enhance researchers’ skills, career perspectives, and employability within and beyond academia and prepare an effective implementation plan.

Learned Evaluation procedure: project proposal
Notes and Pre-requisites: 2nd and 3rd Year Students
Schedule: 3 and 10 March 2026 - location C3A/online - see courses calendar for timetable details 

Registration procedure: in order to register in the course, please write an e-mail request to phd.aes@unitn.it

Lecturer(s): Rachele Nieri; Gerardo Puopolo
N hours: 8
ECTS: 1

Summary: In the high-stakes world of research, the ability to present one's work effectively can make or break a career. Researchers must master the art of scientific presentation to secure funding, land prestigious positions, and share their discoveries with the global scientific community. This course is designed to equip graduate students with the essential skills required to create and deliver impactful scientific presentations. The course covers the entire process from the initial stages of organizing content and designing slides to the art of public speaking. Students will learn how to convey complex scientific information clearly and engagingly to diverse audiences. The course emphasizes practical exercises, including peer reviews and live presentations, to build confidence and refine presentation techniques.

Skills Learned:

1. Organize scientific content logically and coherently.
2. Design visually appealing and informative slides.
3. Convey complex ideas clearly and concisely.
4. Capture and maintain audience interest.
5. Develop strong vocal delivery, body language, and eye contact.
6. Employ strategies to effectively respond to questions during Q&A sessions.
7. Integrate videos, animations, and other multimedia elements.
8. Manage and reduce public speaking anxiety.
9. Utilize peer and instructor feedback to improve presentation skills.

Learned Evaluation procedure: Oral presentation of a scientific talk
Notes and Pre-requisites: NONE
Schedule: 10-23 April 2026  - Location C3A/FEM - see PhD courses classes calendar for details

Registration procedure: in order to register in the course, please write an e-mail request to phd.aes@unitn.it

Lecturer(s): Marco Ciolli, Clara Tattoni
N hours: 40
ECTS: 5

Summary: 18 hours lectures, Basis of Field sampling techniques and Spatial Ecological modelling using GIS and GPS; 10 hours field sampling work with measuring instruments and GPS; 12 hours practical Exercises with basis of GIS Ecological modelling with QGIS and R. 

Module 1 (28 hours): Theoretical and practical basis of field sampling techniques and data collection and spatial ecological modelling. Exploration of field data and how they can be used/misused. How to perform sampling in the forest and GPS data collection in the field, basis of spatial ecological modelling, overview of various modelling techniques with special reference to landscape ecology, land use change modelling and scenarios development, Vegetation Analysis and cartography, basis of remote sensing for vegetation. Forest landscape change detection, Markov Chain scenarios and Landscape Ecology indexes and parameters. 
Skills acquired: How to select sampling areas in the field and the reliability and limits of field data. Importance of data understanding and of sampling procedures. Data acquisition and critical interpretation of data sources. Improving GPS data sampling in the field. 

Module 2 (12 hours): Practical exercises with a Special focus on Land use change, Vegetation Analysis and cartography, basis of remote sensing for vegetation, Past Forest landscape change detection, Production of Markov Chain scenarios future/past and Landscape Ecology indexes and parameters and modelling of different pollution sources. Overview of various modelling techniques. Comparison of different techniques, pros and cons. Alien species modelling and study cases. Interpretation of Model results and validation. GIS and R Practice on sample data.
Skills acquired: It will give a thorough introduction to the How to use and combine the data in a GIS to perform geospatial analysis and ecological modelling; How to use QGIS plugins and basic use of R as a GIS.

Learned Evaluation procedure: Presentation on a topic discussed in the course OR, alternatively Data processing using GIS or R 
Notes and Pre-requisites: 1st year
Schedule: 25-29 May 2026 (8:30-12:30 // 13:30-17:30) - location DICAM - Room 1H and outdoors classes (the course involves fieldwork activities that will be arranged depending on weather conditions) - see PhD courses/classes calendar for details

Registration procedure: in order to register in the course, please write an e-mail request to phd.aes@unitn.it

Lecturer(s): Dino Zardi
N hours: 16
ECTS: 2

Summary: Mountains are characterised by peculiar environmental processes and host a variety of ecosystems. Also, climate change is occurring at an accelerated pace at higher elevations. The course offers an overview of atmospheric processes characterising mountainous environments, reviews the factors involved and their roles, and outlines a few examples of simple mathematical models to treat some of these processes, namely thermally driven slope winds and mountain waves, with a special emphasis.

Skills Learned: students attending this course will learn basic concepts of mountain-atmosphere exchanges and climate change in mountainous areas

Learned Evaluation procedure: Oral presentation or short report, upon students’ choice, at the end of the course
Notes and Pre-requisites: Pre-requisites: Basic calculus and physics at the university level.
Schedule: May/June 2026 - dates to be defined  - Location DICAM and online - see classes calendar for details

Registration procedure: in order to register in the course, please write an e-mail request to phd.aes@unitn.it

Lecturer(s): Roberto Larcher, Tiziana Nardin, Raffaele Guzzon, Tomas Roman
N hours: 16
ECTS: 2

Summary: The course aims to provide, through a series of monographic seminars, notions about current issues or innovative trends in the transformation of raw food, with particular reference to traditional fermented foods. Ample space will also be given to analytical techniques for the characterization of food.
Module 1: Oenological treatments and technological fermentation management.
Module 2: Evolution of microbiota through wine oenological fermentations, influence of technological and environmental variables and impact on wine quality; Wine spoilage microorganisms, risk for wine quality and human health, and innovative approaches at the winery and wine hygiene.
Module 3: Chemical characterisation of fermentative compounds; Identification and quantification of metabolites; Chromatographic separation and analytical detection: profiles of minerals, sugars, amines, amino acids, organic acids, vitamins and volatile compounds; Targeted and untargeted profiles; Models of origin and botanical traceability;
Skills acquired: familiarity and ability to interpret and describe fermentative processes and define quality controls.

Learned Evaluation procedure: written exam
Notes and Pre-requisites: 2nd year
Schedule: March 2025 - scheduled to be defined - location FEM - timetable not yet available

Registration procedure: in order to register in the course, please write an e-mail request to phd.aes@unitn.it

Lecturer(s): Sihem Dabbou
N hours: 12
ECTS: 1,5

Summary: The aim of the course is to provide an overview on insects and the increasing interest basic knowledge on the use of insects in animal feed.

Description: The course is organised in 3 lessons: 1.  Introduction on Insects and legislation (2 hours) / 2. Insect rearing (case study: Black Soldier Fly) (3 hours) / 3. Potential of insect meal in monogastric animal farm nutrition (3 hours). 

Practical activities:  1. A journal club where students present and discuss a paper chosen from the literature on this topic (2 hours). / 2. Oral presentation where students choose and present the interesting topics on Insect as feed (2 hours).

Skills acquired: Tools for studying the importance of insects as animal feed; skills in presenting and discussing scientific articles on this topic

Learned Evaluation procedure: Oral presentation
Notes and Pre-requisites: NA
Schedule: for the AY 2024/25 this course is not active 

Registration procedure: in order to register in the course, please write an e-mail request to phd.aes@unitn.it

Referent: Milena Bigatto milena.bigatto@trentinoinnovation.eu
N hours: 25
ECTS: 3 

EDITION 2026 - 25-29 May 2026  Suggested for: Sustainability & Circular Economy, Health, Food & Lifestyle, Biotech, Ethics, Law & Responsible Innovation

Course Description:
This intensive fi ve-day program is designed for PhD participants to explore the potential market value of their research work. The course aims to develop strategic skills and foster an entrepreneurial mindset, focusing on technology transfer and innovation.

Daily Schedule:
DAY 1 – Understanding Innovation & Researcher Mindset
This day introduces participants to the broader landscape of innovation and the evolving role of research in society. Through a keynote, an applied session and a simulation lab, PhD candidates learn how to recognise opportunities emerging from their research, think beyond disciplinary boundaries, and develop an innovation-oriented mindset grounded in curiosity, initiative and experimentation.
DAY 2 – Trends, Market Dynamics & Opportunity Discovery
Participants explore how global trends, market dynamics and emerging needs infl uence the potential of research results. Through analytical tools and practical exercises, they learn to identify early applications, map stakeholders and recognise cross-sectoral opportunities. A testimonial from a research innovator reinforces how trend interpretation and real-world signals guide the valorization of scientifi c work.
DAY 3 – Technology Proposition & Intellectual Property Essentials
This day provides practical foundations for protecting and describing research outcomes. Participants learn how to prepare a technology proposition, understand the basics of intellectual property, evaluate technology maturity and collaborate with Technology Transfer Offi ces. A hands-on lab guides them in refi ning their proposition, assessing strengths and limitations, and positioning their results for potential application.
Day 4 - Research Value, Industry Collaboration & New Ventures Pathways
Participants learn how to articulate the value of their research, engage eff ectively with industry and explore pathways for new ventures. Through collaboration models, an industry testimonial and a practical lab, they identify routes such as partnerships, spin-off s and start-ups, understanding how early validation and co-creation practices support the transformation of research into new initiatives.
Day 5 - Impact Strategy, Knowledge Transfer & Valorization Roadmap
This final day guides participants in designing meaningful pathways for the uptake and use of their research beyond academia. They learn how to articulate potential economic, societal and environmental contributions, translate research outcomes into coherent impact strategies, and identify the conditions that enable successful knowledge transfer. The closing lab brings all components together into a structured valorization roadmap, helping participants plan concrete next steps for advancing their research results.

Teaching Methods:
- Lectures and presentations
- Interactive workshops and exercises
- Case studies and testimonials from industry professionals
- Daily recap sessions to reinforce key learnings
Assessment:
Participation in class discussions, group and individual exercises
Final pitch presentation of research innovation potential
Final Interview

The syllabus has been developed to provide PhD students with the knowledge, tools and mindset required to transform their research into valuable outcomes through eff ective knowledge transfer. This will be achieved by exploring opportunities for collaboration with industry, technology disclosure, intellectual property and pathways for new ventures and societal impact.

Classes run Monday to Friday, 10:00–12:30 and 13:30–16:00, at Fondazione HIT, Piazza Manci 17, Povo (Trento).

REGISTER  HERE: https://forms.gle/pe9kxr3wnwjGoLS29