Lund University

Major technological advances in affordable nucleic acid sequencing have allowed for an explosion of sequencing data and molecular tools available for researchers in biological sciences. This provides the opportunity for ecologists, evolutionary biologists, and molecular biologists to incorporate bioinformatic analyses into their existing research program to approach their research questions from an interdisciplinary angle. This course provides a general understanding of several major bioinformatics concepts and tools commonly used in biology and molecular biology.  Basic knowledge and practice in designing and executing bioinformatics procedures aimed at answering scientific questions in the fields mentioned above are gained. More specifically, the course gives an overview of the most commonly used methods within applied bioinformatics within the fields of biology and molecular biology. Areas covered include sequence databases, pairwise and multiple sequence alignment, homology searches in sequence databases, and subcellular localization prediction. Several downstream analyses are performed and their utility in applied ecology, evolutionary biology, and molecular biology research are discussed with guest speakers. An overview of the algorithms and statistics behind the bioinformatics methods is included, but the primary focus of course is on applicability, not on methodological details. 

This course teaches remote sensing which is the use of aerial photographs to collect information about landscapes and the environment, with a focus on how to analyze aerial photographs. By doing so, students detect a wide range of features depending on the film emulsion used, e.g., black and white, normal color, and infrared. The course covers the theoretical aspects of aerial photography and includes several opportunities to interpret and handle different types of non-digital image information from landscapes and environments in different parts of the world.

The course provides students with specialised knowledge of language, literature, film and society in Spain or Latin America. It contains an independent thematic study in the area of Spanish-speaking culture. The course provides further practice in oral and written proficiency.

The course begins by exploring the historical background of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, starting with the events which led to the creation of the state of Israel. Particular attention is paid to studying the development of the conflict over the course of the 20th century from a domestic, regional as well as international perspective. The impact of various Israeli and Palestinian movements on the conflict is studied as well as the ongoing involvement of regional and international state and non-state actors. The course concludes with an analysis of the conflict in the 21st century, which includes studying what proposals for peace have been put forward and evaluating their merits. The course is organized according to key events, themes as well as case studies.

The course gives basic theoretical and practical knowledge about database systems and their organization. The emphasis is on relational databases. Topics include an introduction to database systems, basics of the relational model and the query language SQL, methods for data modelling and database design, E/R diagrams, and UML diagrams. Theory for the relational model: functional dependencies, normalization, relational algebra, stored procedures and triggers, and program and web interfaces to databases.  Previous knowledge with programming and Java  required.

The course presents the image of Scandinavia and Europe and its culture and history in television series and films. The examples range from German historical drama and British literary adaptations to current representatives of Scandinavian television drama. Furthermore, the course presents and uses theories that highlight the phenomena discussed in the course.

The main focus of this course is the structure and function of limnic ecosystems. It presents recent theories and models about physical processes and biogeochemical cycles in relation to organisms and their interactions. In this context, the course discusses the microbial loop and trophic interaction hypotheses. Moreover, human's influence on the limnic ecosystem is illustrated. The course also includes training in chemical analysis and water sampling technique as well as exercises in species knowledge of phytoplankton, zooplankton, macrophytes, macroinvertebrates and fish. Teaching is performed as lectures, workshops, and group discussions. During one week, students get experience in field sampling in oligotrophic lakes at the Aneboda Field Station in Småland. In addition, a eutrophic lake in Scania is studied during a one-day excursion. Collected samples are analyzed for water chemistry and organisms, and data are interpreted in lake-systems perspective. All field work is carried out as several group projects that are planned and designed in advance by the students under teacher supervision.