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25661-01 - Lecture with practical courses: Current Topics in Biophysics (6 CP)
| Semester | fall semester 2025 |
| Course frequency | Every fall sem. |
| Lecturers |
Knut Drescher (knut.drescher@unibas.ch)
Richard Neher (richard.neher@unibas.ch) Erik van Nimwegen (erik.vannimwegen@unibas.ch, Assessor) Mihaela Zavolan (mihaela.zavolan@unibas.ch) |
| Content | New measurement technologies have transformed biology into a data rich science. Quantitative analysis and mathematical models are needed to make sense of these data and reach a better, more predictive understanding of biological systems. Such understanding often depends on identifying how biology is constrained by the laws of physics and how it exploits self-organization principles. In this course, we will review how ideas and concepts from physics have helped understanding biological systems by discussing landmark papers in the field. Topics that will be covered include quantitative laws in genome evolution, trade-offs between unicellular and multicellular organization, regulatory circuits for gene regulation and their specific behaviors, the role of gene expression noise, bacterial growth laws, regulatory principles in metazoan development, and the application of maximum entropy and information theory principles to biological problems from protein structure to development. Pre-requisites are a good mathematical background (calculus, linear algebra, dynamical systems, probability theory) as well as a basic background in biology. |
| Comments | This course is also part of the MSc program Computational Biology and Bioinformatics with ETH-Z and Uni Zürich. Students from this program should register early and get in touch with the study coordinator to ensure that they have access to the relevant online resources from the start. The course starts in the second week of the semester on 23.9.2024 |
| Weblink | Graduate Teaching Program |
| Admission requirements | Prerequisites: - solid mathematical background - lectures: Computational Biology I and II: desirable (for students with unibas background) |
| Language of instruction | German |
| Use of digital media | Online, optional |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Monday | 10.15-12.00 | - Online Präsenz - |
| wöchentlich | Monday | 13.15-14.00 | - Online Präsenz - |
Dates
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Monday 15.09.2025 | 13.15-14.00 | - Online Präsenz -, -- |
| Monday 22.09.2025 | 10.15-12.00 | - Online Präsenz -, -- |
| Monday 22.09.2025 | 13.15-14.00 | - Online Präsenz -, -- |
| Monday 29.09.2025 | 10.15-12.00 | - Online Präsenz -, -- |
| Monday 29.09.2025 | 13.15-14.00 | - Online Präsenz -, -- |
| Monday 06.10.2025 | 10.15-12.00 | - Online Präsenz -, -- |
| Monday 06.10.2025 | 13.15-14.00 | - Online Präsenz -, -- |
| Monday 13.10.2025 | 10.15-12.00 | - Online Präsenz -, -- |
| Monday 13.10.2025 | 13.15-14.00 | - Online Präsenz -, -- |
| Monday 20.10.2025 | 10.15-12.00 | - Online Präsenz -, -- |
| Monday 20.10.2025 | 13.15-14.00 | - Online Präsenz -, -- |
| Monday 27.10.2025 | 10.15-12.00 | - Online Präsenz -, -- |
| Monday 27.10.2025 | 13.15-14.00 | - Online Präsenz -, -- |
| Monday 03.11.2025 | 10.15-12.00 | - Online Präsenz -, -- |
| Monday 03.11.2025 | 13.15-14.00 | - Online Präsenz -, -- |
| Monday 10.11.2025 | 10.15-12.00 | - Online Präsenz -, -- |
| Monday 10.11.2025 | 13.15-14.00 | - Online Präsenz -, -- |
| Monday 17.11.2025 | 10.15-12.00 | - Online Präsenz -, -- |
| Monday 17.11.2025 | 13.15-14.00 | - Online Präsenz -, -- |
| Monday 24.11.2025 | 10.15-12.00 | - Online Präsenz -, -- |
| Monday 24.11.2025 | 13.15-14.00 | - Online Präsenz -, -- |
| Monday 01.12.2025 | 10.15-12.00 | - Online Präsenz -, -- |
| Monday 01.12.2025 | 13.15-14.00 | - Online Präsenz -, -- |
| Monday 08.12.2025 | 10.15-12.00 | - Online Präsenz -, -- |
| Monday 08.12.2025 | 13.15-14.00 | - Online Präsenz -, -- |
| Monday 15.12.2025 | 10.15-12.00 | - Online Präsenz -, -- |
| Monday 15.12.2025 | 13.15-14.00 | - Online Präsenz -, -- |
| Modules |
Cycle E: Computational and Systems Biology (Master's Studies: Molecular Biology (Start of studies before 01.08.2025)) Doctorate Biochemistry: Recommendations (PhD subject: Biochemistry) Doctorate Biophysics: Recommendations (PhD subject: Biophysics) Doctorate Cell Biology: Recommendations (PhD subject: Cell Biology) Doctorate Computational Biology: Recommendations (PhD subject: Computational Biology) Doctorate Genetics: Recommendations (PhD subject: Genetics) Doctorate Microbiology: Recommendations (PhD subject: Microbiology) Doctorate Molecular Biology: Recommendations (PhD subject: Molecular Biology) Doctorate Neurobiology: Recommendations (PhD subject: Neurobiology) Doctorate Pharmacology: Recommendations (PhD subject: Pharmacology) Doctorate Structural Biology: Recommendations (PhD subject: Structural Biology) Kernfächer und Seminar (Master's Studies: Computational Biology and Bioinformatics) Modul: Foundations in Physics of Life (Master's Studies: Physics of Life) Module Specialisation: Molecular Biology (Master's Studies: Nanosciences) Module: Cycle E: Computational and Systems Biology (Master's Studies: Molecular Biology) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | To pass the course, students need to participate in at least 10 sessions. The grade will be based on quality and quantity of active oral participation, submitted written notes as preparation for each of the sessions, and a report on one of the topics. |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration, dereg: cancel course registration |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | 1-6 0,5 |
| Repeated registration | as often as necessary |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Science, studiendekanat-philnat@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Departement Biozentrum |