The aim of this course is to introduce food engineering students to the fundamental concepts of molecular biology and genetics, including the structure, function, and regulation of genetic material. It also aims to provide students with the ability to understand and interpret biological systems at the molecular level. By covering topics such as DNA structure, gene expression regulation, mutations, and molecular analysis techniques, students will be able to evaluate the role of modern molecular biology technologies in food safety, biotechnology, and analytical processes.

This course covers the fundamentals of molecular biology, including the central dogma (replication, transcription, translation), the structure of DNA and RNA, epigenetic regulation of gene expression, the genetic code, mutations, and DNA repair mechanisms. Key genetic concepts such as classical and modern genetics, recombinant DNA technologies, transformation, and plasmids will also be discussed. In addition, molecular biology laboratory techniques including PCR, RT-PCR, gel electrophoresis, SDS-PAGE, Western blotting, and ELISA will be introduced, with emphasis on their applications in food engineering.