Advanced Cellular Imaging Techniques
Advanced light microscopy and reporter gene techniques are indispensable for mechanistic studies on the functioning and organization of cells. New microscopy technologies and digital imaging allow us to study dynamic processes at shorter time scales and with higher spatial resolution in living cells. In this practical course the principles and cell biological application of different
Biotechnology
This course is an introduction in Biotechnology. It will give an overview of different fields in biotechnology (molecular techniques, bacterial biotechnology, fungal biotechnology, plant biotechnology, industrial biotechnology, medical biotechnology, animal biotechnology) with special emphasis on new developments. In addition, other aspects related to biotechnology, such as intellectual property rights, ethical concerns and the marketability of
Molecular genetic research techniques
In deze voornamelijk praktische cursus leren jullie hoe je experimenteel processen in levende bacteriën, gisten, planten en zoogdiercellen kunt bestuderen, en de moleculair-genetische technieken die hiervoor worden toegepast. De technieken die jullie gaan leren en toepassen variëren van basale tot geavanceerde recombinante DNA-technieken, zoals: overdracht van genetisch materiaal tussen bacteriën, genetische mapping in planten, yeast-2-hybrid
Transforming Food Systems
General description of the content This course will focus on the dynamics in food systems globally from a governance and transition studies perspective. We will identify the different actors involved, their roles and interests, and their relationships and interactions. Next, we will focus on processes of transformations towards more sustainable and healthy food systems (at
Planten in Context
Het centrale thema in de cursus is de interactie van de plant met zijn omgeving en de verschillende (sub)disciplines die bij deze interacties betrokken zijn. In de eerste 5 weken zal er elke week een ander thema zijn, namelijk Bodemontwikkeling & Water, Wortel & Nutriënten, Bodemleven, Stressfysiologie & Plasticiteit en Competitie & Biodiversiteit, waarbij de
Data Science and Biology
This course focuses on applying data science methods to biological data. With the rise of high-throughput techniques in biology, massive datasets are now common, including genomes, metagenomes, transcriptomes, and more. The course equips students with the theoretical and practical skills to extract insights from such data. Students learn to work with the command-line interface, write
Modelling biological systems
Biological systems are arguably the most complex systems science tries to understand. We make observations, and try to obtain useful insight in the systems. This requires hypotheses; ideas of how we believe the world around us is structured and operates. Models translate our hypotheses into concrete predictions about our objects of study that can be
Agroecology and Agronomy 1
The course focuses on the mutual relation between crop production and environment and consists of two pillars: a. basic principles of crop production ecology, b. sustainability of crop production. The first pillar consists of basic knowledge on how a-biotic (e.g. radiation, temperature, nutrients) and biotic (e.g. pests, diseases and weed) factors influence the productivity of
Innoveren in en met de Maatschappij
Vanaf april 2025 biedt het Copernicus Instituut een spannende en innovatieve nieuwe cursus aan: Innoveren in en met de Maatschappij. Innovatieonderzoek richt zich vaak op de markt (bedrijven), of juist de publieke sector (universiteiten en beleid). Maar uit onderzoek blijkt dat het veelal burgers en andere gebruikers zijn die een leidende rol spelen bij het
Breeding for Stress Tolerance and Quality
In current agriculture, abiotic and biotic stress are the main reasons that yield potential and quality aspects are difficult to realize for many crops. Resistance breeding focuses on the use of genetic resources for improving plant defence against stress factors. Breeding for biotic stress resistance addresses with defence mechanisms and strategies that protect host plants