Research Training Group: Mathematical Modeling for the Quantitative Biosciences
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
News
Dominik Niopek receives Klaus Tschira Award for Achievements in Public Understanding of Sciences 鈥�KlarText
[more]Scientists from BioQuant Center & Institute for Theoretical Pysics and the University of Chicago use optogenetics and mathematical modelling to identify a central molecule in cell mechanics
[more]
BioQuant
BioQuant, the Center for 鈥淨 uantitative Analysis of Molecular and Cellular Biosystems 鈥�/b> at Heidelberg University was established in 2007 as an interdisciplinary University research center that is solely dedicated to research and training in systems biology. BioQuants 鈥檚 objective is to function as a platform for the development and constant refinement of mathematical models of complex biological systems as well as the swift validation of scientific hypotheses via experimental data. Currently, up to 40 University and non-University research groups (DKFZ, EMBL, the Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies (HITS, formerly the European Media Lab), and the MPI for Medical Research) are affiliated with BioQuant. These research groups are instrumental in implementing numerous national and international systems biology funding initiatives. They include the FORSYS-ViroQuant, HepatoSys, SysMo, and several MedSys, SysTec, and GerontoSys networks, the public-private-partnership program BioMS as well as the Helmholtz Initiative for Systems Biology (SBCancer), and the Excellence Cluster CellNetworks, to some extent.
In addition to advanced computational tools and methods for data analysis, image processing, and modeling, BioQuant 鈥檚 central technology platform provides cutting edge technologies for systematic functional imaging with an emphasis highthroughput and high-content microscopy, high-resolution microscopy and electron microscopy (conventional and cryoEM). The NIKON Imaging Center and the Hamamatsu TIGA (Tissue Imaging and Analysis) Center are both integral parts of BioQuant 鈥檚 technology platform.
Teaching Program for Systems Biology
In addition to its research goals, BioQuant is committed to implementing a sustainable infrastructure for systems biology education (at Bachelor 鈥檚, Master 鈥檚 and Ph.D. student levels) at Heidelberg University. In the international Master 鈥檚 program 鈥淢 olecular Biosciences 鈥�at Heidelberg University, a new major curriculum for systems biology has been established. The program covers fundamental topics in bioinformatics, computational analysis, network reconstruction, and dynamic pathway analysis as well as multi-scale modeling. The biological systems to be presented focus on cellular systems with an emphasis on infectious diseases, cellular signaling, developmental biology, and cancer biology. Practical courses as well as the master 鈥檚 thesis are performed within the framework of the research activities of the teaching faculty. Thus, from an early stage on, students are integrated into relevant, ongoing research projects in systems biology. Most recently, an international student exchange program with the Universities of Amsterdam, Luxembourg, Manchester and Tokyo Medical and Dental University was initiated.