Content
Introduction
Life Sciences is the field of research that studies the life processes in organisms and cells. It includes e.g. genomics, proteomics, metabolomics and molecular cytology. Life Science research has an enormous socio-economic impact, improving the quality of life by providing new insight into, for example, the medical, nutritional and agricultural Sciences. Eventually, this will lead to new therapies and medicines, new and healthier foods and new, sustainable products, and new and improved production methods. Many Life Science companies have started with a brilliant idea of a scientist or with a discovery in a university research lab. Thus, the heart of a Life Science company is the science and the scientific discoveries around which a structural body is built, in order to bring the scientific discoveries to market.
The first part of this course consists of a discovery tour of how the science at the heart of 5 Leiden Life Science companies has led to products on the market or in the pipeline. In the second assignment the basic challenge in the capitalization of research-based knowledge will be considered: how to assess whether breakthrough research can be used to develop new products and services?
Literature
During the course all information that is needed to successfully complete the course will be given in lectures by experts in their fields.
Form of tuition
There are 2 assignments, 2 weeks each. The assignments will be done in teams of 3-4 students. One of the students will be team captain for one week, he/she will be responsible for planning the assignment and give the presentation at the end of the week.
Team captaincy will rotate, so every student will be team captain and give a presentation at least once during the whole course.
Mode of assesment
Students will be assessed with regard to their presentations and to their essays by the module coordinators, representatives of companies, interviewed scientists or lecturers, etc., and by their fellow students. Attention will be given to academic competence/skills and academic attitude of the students.