Gene Technology

Recombinant DNA technology has brought about a revolution in our understanding of molecular processes in living organisms. To date, there is no field in experimental biology that has remained untouched by the potential of isolating, analyzing and manipulating genes and organisms. Thus, gene technology provides essential tools in both fundamental and applied medical, industrial, agricultural,

Algorithms for Network-based Bioinformatics

We will cover topics such as complex network models to characterise and analyse biological systems, approaches to infer network structures from given biological measurements, strategies of network enhancement through network integration, predictions based on network structures, and graph generation (molecular design). Specifically, the course contains the following topics: Background on molecular data: systems biology, data-driven

Biologie van Planten

Aan de hand van een aantal deelhoofdstukken van de boeken Life, the Science of Biology en Plant Physiology and Development wordt de studenten inzicht gegeven in de bouw en het functioneren van planten. De exacte (deel)hoofdstukken zullen in de studiewijzer bekend worden gemaakt. Allereerst worden het plantenrijk en de hoofdlijnen van de evolutie van planten

Evolutionary Algorithms

In this course we consider a specific subfield of Artificial Intelligence: Evolutionary Algorithms (EAs). These algorithms, sometimes also identified as being part of the class of bio-inspired algorithms, have as a metaphor the concept of natural evolution, i.e., the mechanisms by which, the fittest individuals in a population survive, reproduce, and in doing so, over

Societal Challenges & Innovation Theory

The analysis of innovation processes is much more powerful when using theories of socio-technical change and innovation. Theories of socio-technical change and innovation can be a powerful tool to understand and help solve some of the grand challenges that our society faces. The course focuses on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), like SDG 3

Data Science for Plant Breeding and Genetics

One of the major goals for plant breeders is to identify candidate varieties that are well adapted to the set of environmental conditions that are relevant for the agricultural system of interest. To achieve this goal, breeders characterize their genotypes in multi-environment trials or in phenotyping platforms. The ranking of genotypes might change across trials,

Climate Smart Agriculture

Agriculture contributes significantly to global warming through large scale greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time many agriculture systems are vulnerable to climate change and without adaptation global food production could significantly reduce affecting food security. In response to these challenges the concept of climate smart agriculture has been developed. Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) aims to

Plant Breeding

This course introduces students to key principles of plant breeding. Plant breeding is the science-driven creative process of changing the traits of plants in order to develop new plant varieties. Several essential approaches and tools used in the process are discussed: different modes of reproduction, selection methods, including molecular selection methods, the production of hybrid

Plant Biotechnology

During the course, lectures will be given to introduce various aspects of Plant Biotechnology. The first set of lectures outlines the techniques used in Plant Biotechnology, including recent developments such as gene editing, and in the second set, specific examples of application of these techniques and the effects on science and society are provided. Societal