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
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
Sustainable food systems
Our current globalized food system is often at the core of the pressure on sustainable development goals such as life on land, life below water, and water and sanitation, while failing to meet goals such as zero hunger and no poverty. Understanding the causes of the current unsustainable situation and developing solutions to stimulate a
Master Level Computational Biology
During the course, the emphasis will be on composing and analysing exact computational models based on specific biological hypotheses. These models are used to gain insight into the dynamics of biological systems across various fields. Topics include multi-level evolution, such as pre-biotic evolution, eco-evolutionary dynamics, spatial pattern formation, and genome evolution—for instance, the interaction between
Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Genomics
The sequencing revolution is rapidly charting ever more obscure branches in the tree of life. All these novel genomes and increasingly sophisticated bioinformatic methods are changing our view of where the complexity in our protein complexes come from and how the genes in the human genome came from. For example when we trace compare the
Bioinformatics and Dynamic Modelling
This course introduces students to the research fields of bioinformatics and biological modeling. Central themes are the use of data to extract underlying patterns on function and evolution, and the use of models to test hypotheses and make predictions for biological systems. Introduction: Biological processes are notoriously complex, and studying their dynamics through modeling and
Philosophy of A.I. (UU)
This course will make students familiar with fundamental issues in the philosophy of AI, and will introduce them to several current discussions in the field. Students will practice their argumentation and presentation skills, both in class discussions and in writing. The course is split up in three parts. The first part is a quick overview