Systems biology

Systems biology offers the possibility of understanding how living organisms function at different scales of organization. This course will focus on the sub-cellular scale. At this scale, systems biology models integrate several levels of interaction from the transcriptome, proteome and metabolome. The predictions of in silico models can be used in biomedical research to understand multi-factorial diseases and optimize drug treatments, in bioengineering to synthesize genomes with optimized properties and functions (synthetic biology), as well as to guide fundamental research into the principles of how living organisms function. The course comprises a theoretical component (lectures and practical sessions on modeling gene, signaling and metabolic networks) and a practical component (computer-based practical exercises using Matlab software).

- understand mathematical models of gene, signalling and metabolic networks.

- be able to use the basic principles of systems biology (networks and regulatory circuits, stability and robustness, dynamic systems and their attractors, emergent properties) in reasoning about biological systems.   

- use this understanding to integrate multimodal biological data and optimize biohealth treatments.

- acquire basic programming skills in Matlab, model repositories and systems biology exchange formats.

HAV626V Mathematics for biology