Admission requirements
This course is for MSc students in Biology.
Description
The Master Course in Systems Microbiology offers a comprehensive lecture series covering key aspects of microbial life. The series delves into crucial topics, including wastewater treatment, global nutrient cycles, and the establishment of beneficial or devastating interactions with other organisms, providing students with a holistic understanding of microbial systems. The goal is to equip students with a systems-level understanding of microbiological phenomena, fostering a deeper appreciation for the functioning of microbial systems and planet earth as a whole.
Course objectives
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Describe the complex systems where microbes are present
- Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the functioning of microbes in larger communities and contexts
- Integrate the information provided by specialists in the field during the lectures with knowledge gained from the textbook and scientific publications
- Formulate critical questions and discuss possible answers about the information obtained during the course
- Evaluate curriculum vitae of the speakers and extract the red lines in their careers
Timetable
In MyTimetable, you can find all course and programme schedules, allowing you to create your personal timetable. Activities for which you have enrolled via MyStudyMap will automatically appear in your timetable.
Additionally, you can easily link MyTimetable to a calendar app on your phone, and schedule changes will be automatically updated in your calendar. You can also choose to receive email notifications about schedule changes. You can enable notifications in Settings after logging in.
Questions? Watch the video, read the instructions, or contact the ISSC helpdesk.
Note: Joint Degree students from Leiden/Delft need to combine information from both the Leiden and Delft MyTimetables to see a complete schedule. This video explains how to do it.
Mode of instruction
Lectures, self-study, group assignment.
Assessment Method
Exam 70%, group exercise 30%.
Minimum grade:
Courses require a minimum, unrounded 5.5 grade to complete.
If a course has 2 or more written partial exams, the minimum grade only applies to the weighted average of the exams.
For partial grades from components other than exams (e.g. practicals, seminars, writing assignments), the bottom grade does apply to the individual components.
Please refer to the Student Charter for an overview of regulations.
Reading list
The textbook Brock Biology of Microorganisms (16th edition) is required for this course.
Registration
As a student, you are responsible for enrolling on time through MyStudyMap.
In this short video, you can see step-by-step how to enrol for courses in MyStudyMap.
Extensive information about the operation of MyStudyMap can be found here.
There are two enrolment periods per year:
Enrolment for the fall opens in July
Enrolment for the spring opens in December
See this page for more information about deadlines and enrolling for courses and exams.
Note:
It is mandatory to enrol for all activities of a course that you are going to follow.
Your enrolment is only complete when you submit your course planning in the ‘Ready for enrolment’ tab by clicking ‘Send’.
Not being enrolled for an exam/resit means that you are not allowed to participate in the exam/resit.
Contact
Coordinator: Prof.Dr. D. Claessen
Email: d.claessen@biology.leidenuniv.nl
Remarks
Your registration is not complete if you have not registered for all course components available in my study map (exam, lecture, etc.).
A maximum of 80 students can follow this course.
Software
Starting from the 2024/2025 academic year, the Faculty of Science will use the software distribution platform Academic Software. Through this platform, you can access the software needed for specific courses in your studies. For some software, your laptop must meet certain system requirements, which will be specified with the software. It is important to install the software before the start of the course. More information about the laptop requirements can be found on the student website.