This course is part of the Level Up project which is fully funded by the European Commission.
“Systems biology is about putting together rather simple pieces to understand much more complicated things.” Leroy Hood
What is Systems Biology and what techniques can you apply to better understand it?
The course aims to introduce students to the fundamentals of modern techniques used in Systems Biology, a discipline that aims to understand a biological system as a whole and not merely its individual components. A deeper and wider understanding into how cells respond to experimental perturbations can give important insight into various applications, from biotechnology to human disease.
Participants will be introduced to basic concepts of Systems Biology, but emphasis will also be put on modern techniques that are commonly being used in Systems Biology, such as mRNA sequencing, mass spectrometry-based proteomics, flow/mass cytometry, and live-cell imaging. These might range from genome-wide coverage to single molecule coverage, millions of cells to single cells, and single time points to frequently sampled time courses.
Upon the successful completion of the course, students will be able to comprehend the basic terms used in systems biology; describe modern laboratory approaches based on ‘-omics’ methods and their importance in identifying key factors in the development of a phenotype/disease; integrate the ‘-omics’ results into a meaningful whole and define the global model of biological processes responsible for the development of a phenotype/disease; learn about the usage of Systems Biology experimental methodologies in early diagnosis, prognosis and/or drug development.
