Volume 4, No. 4Chimica nella Scuola n. 4 2025
Full Issue
Editoriale
Metodologie didattiche per l'Università
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Il miglioramento della didattica e la formazione docenti a Padova
In recent years, the University of Padua has invested substantially in the professional development of its faculty, with a strong emphasis on innovative, student-centered teaching practices. One of its flagship initiatives in this area is the Teaching4Learning (T4L) program—a faculty development model grounded in the principles of Active Learning (AL). The T4L program is designed to provide teachers the skills and strategies needed to implement active and inclusive pedagogies by offering a structured pathway that includes courses, hands-on workshops, teaching labs, peer mentoring, and opportunities for reflective practice. Through this initiative, the university not only enhances the quality of teaching, but also fosters a collaborative academic culture.
Pagine di storia
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L’isomerizzazione fotochimica del carvone, la prima reazione fotochimica stereospecifica
Ciamician in 1908 described the first stereospecific photochemical reaction irradiating a natural occurring chiral terpene, carvone. Ciamician proposed a structure for the obtained photoisomeric product without a study devoted to confirming it. Some year later, Sernagiotto proposed, on the basis of some incomplete experimental results, a new structure for the photoisomer. Büchi proposed, on the basis of other experimental but not conclusive results, to return to the structure proposed by Ciamician. Finally, NMR spectrum of the photoisomer, performed in 1965, confirmed the Ciamician structure.
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Bartolomeo Gosio, dalla candidatura al Nobel all’oblio
Bartolomeo Gosio (1866-1944) discovered the organication of metals in 1891 and purified the first antibiotic (micofenolic acid) two years later, next abandoning research at the turning of the century and dedicating the rest of his professional life to issues of public health. In the light of his seminal discoveries, which led to his nomination for the Nobel Prize in 1922, the oblivion of Gosio is surprising, and related to a series of unfortunate circumstances including the association of the gas named after him (Gosio’s gas) to pseudo-scientific claims in the realm of history and medicine. Rather than for his discoveries, Gosio was long remembered for allegedly carrying out the first studies on penicillin, but his contribution to this field is limited to the invention of the name “penicillin”, which, however, he used in the context of studies on organoarsenical compounds and not of antibiotics. The research on Gosio’s gas provides an interesting starting point for discussing the complexity of environmental issues and their reductive association to a single chemical compound or class of chemical compounds.
Transizione ecologica
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I protagonisti del mondo materiale: Seconda parte: cemento, petrolio, litio, Terre Rare e idrogeno
The second part of the article dedicated to the most important material substances that have characterized our world focuses on the characteristics and uses of cement, oil, lithium, rare earths and hydrogen. It reviews not only their positive aspects for the development of the world, but also the problems caused with their extraction, manufacture and use. Furthermore, it is examined the negative influence that some of them have had and still have on the planet’s climate and on our survival.
Percorsi laboratoriali per la Scuola Secondaria
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Un percorso laboratoriale sulle gemme
This work represents an example of learning path on gems aimed at providing a structured, progressive experience for learners to acquire specific skills and fundamental knowledge of biology. The laboratory methodology is based on a phenomenological-inductive approach that involved learners in practical and reflective activities. This approach helps learners to achieve solid knowledge, which are consistent to the cognitive structures of pre-adolescents. Gems also provide an example of biological transformation that students can directly observe and experience, inferring its importance.
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Dal campionamento alla stima della sua incertezza
This work deals with the PNRR project “campionamento delle matrici ambientali”, whitin we particularly focused on soil and surface water. For these matrices we studied sampling method and procedure for pH analysis. For soil matrix, the sampling uncertainty was estimated using the ANOVA method.
Un progetto di lettura alla Scuola Secondaria di secondo grado
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L’interpretazione chimica del vivente di Giovanni Villani: un progetto di lettura critica distribuita con le scuole secondarie di secondo grado
This paper presents a collection of reviews of the nine chapters of the book L’interpretazione chimica del vivente by Giovanni Villani, written by high school students who participated in an educational initiative focused on the reading and critical analysis of a scientific essay. The activity was carried out during the 2024–2025 school year as part of the “Piano Lauree Scientifiche – Chimica” program at Università degli Studi di Padova. Fourteen classes from various Italian regions (Veneto, Toscana, Trentino-Alto Adige, e Piemonte) took part in the project. The book served as a springboard for students and their teachers to investigate the theme of life not only from a scientific standpoint, but also through historical and philosophical lenses.
Dare voce agli studenti
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Dalla curiosità alla ricerca: il mio percorso tra accademia, industria e innovazione farmacologica
Scientific curiosity can become a driving force for both personal and professional growth. In this article, I share my PhD journey in Pharmaceutical Sciences, focused on studying AKT1 as a therapeutic target for cancer and rare diseases. Through computational modeling, in vitro experimentation, and collaboration with industry, I had the opportunity to explore innovative approaches to drug design. This experience enriched not only my scientific skills but also my perspective on the social role of research and the value of scientific education.
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Come i cowboy: un lazo per antibiotico
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the most important challenges in the world, with bacteria evolving faster than new drugs. The discovery of lariocidin, an antibiotic derived from Paenibacillus, offers new hope against resistant bacteria. Lasso peptides, including lariocidin, are a promising therapeutic solution due to their stability and antimicrobial activity.