Biological Sciences

In this course students study how organisms have changed through time. They look at the historical origins of the modern concept of evolution, examining the evidence for it and the processes that have shaped faunas and floras. Students consider Darwinism and its development, the origin and maintenance of variation, and adaptation and selection. They analyze how evolution can be studied using phylogenetic methods and the mechanisms of speciation, with a focus on human evolution.

The course covers the translation between biology and mathematics; population models and spatial models, simulations: Deterministic versus stochastic simulations of mathematical models; weaknesses, strengths, and applicability; the Gillespie algorithm for stochastic simulations: Naive implementation and possible optimizations for large systems; cost functions; optimization methods including local optimization, thermodynamic methods, particle-swarm optimization, and genetic algorithms; and sensitivity analysis: Estimation of the uncertainty of determined parameter values. Strategies to achieve robustness. Admission to the course requires 90 credits Science studies, including knowledge equivalent to BERN01 Modelling in Computational Science, 7.5 credits or FYTN03 Computational physics, 7.5 credits and English 6/B. Admission to the course also requires knowledge in programming in Python equivalent to NUMA01, 7.5 credits or similar knowledge in Matlab, C++ or the like programming language.

A research project that assigns students to expert professors in their proposed research topic. The course takes the student's research capabilities to a more professional level. This can be most closely compared to what is called a supervised research project in American universities.

This course examines marine protection and conservation science and associated management of marine environments. It covers the principles of marine protection, including the varied ways that marine habitats are assessed for protection, can be protected, and the techniques used to assess whether protection has been successful.

Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean, with its diverse landscapes — ranging from Mt. Etna’s volcanic geology and coastal marine biodiversity to rural agricultural practices and conservation areas — offers a unique and comprehensive setting for immersive ecological and environmental field studies. This course will engage with key topics such as the natural history and ecology of Mediterranean island environments, the geological processes that shape the landscape, perspectives on human-environment interactions, and the oceanographic dynamics that influence coastal and marine habitats.

The course is to understand how evolutionary principles can help us to better explain health and disease.  Why do we get sick? Why are pregnancies complicated? Why do we grow old? Why do infectious diseases have a disproportionate effect in men and women? These fascinating questions are the core of evolutionary medicine. Through case studies, students explore contemporary issues in health and disease –ones that we confront on a regular basis– and ask how evolutionary concepts –e.g., life history theory, cooperation and conflict, constraints and trade-offs, coevolution– help us to understand, mitigate, or combat those issues. 

Diseases that integrate physiology, cellular biology, and molecular biology with pathophysiology and pharmacology are central to this course. The course provides a comprehensive perspective on organ system related diseases, their complications, and treatments at the molecular, cellular, and systemic level. The course starts with a focus on basic pathophysiology at the cellular and molecular levels and an introduction to pharmacology with a focus on pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics and toxicology. The course covers various aspects such as pathophysiological mechanisms, pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions, the mechanisms of the impact of drugs at the molecular, cellular and organ level and ethical considerations related to the UN Global Goals from a broad perspective. During the course, different parts of the drug development process are introduced – from the early pre-clinical stages to clinical trials and approval. Pre-req includes BIMB40 Organ Systems and Homeostasis of the Human Body.
 

The course consists of an integrated historical and a philosophical part. In the historical part, the period ca. 1900 until the present and concentrate on the development of biology as a separate scientific discipline, characterized by research programs that took shape over time is covered. In this section the following topics are reviewed Kant’s Critic of Judgment and the emergence of the teleological understanding of living beings; The Cuvier-Geoffroy debate and its influence in the development of Darwin’s theory of evolution; Darwin's theory of evolution; The rise of experimentalism in the nineteenth-century biology; The eclipse of Darwinism and discussion of neo-Lamarckism in early twentieth century; The emergence of the synthetic theory of evolution; The foundations of genetics and molecular biology; and The postgenomic turn in 21th century. The historical part ties in with several of the themes covered in the philosophical part. Some of the philosophical debates discussed in the class are Philosophy of biology and its relation to biology; The central concepts of Darwin’s theory of evolution; Adaptationist debate; Species, genes, race, classification, and taxonomies; Causality and explanation in biology; and Experimental biology and epistemic objects. The course includes lectures and tutorials. Participants are expected to have carefully read the required material and have completed the weekly assignment in advance of the meeting. The weekly assignment is a reading report or a critical question depending on the week. Entrance requirements included enrollment in a degree programme of the Faculty of Science.