Admission requirements
Bachelor degree in Computer Science, Biology, Biomedical Science, LST or Pharmaceutical Science, or currently enrolled in the Master Bio-Informatics. Note that knowledge of biological processes or Petri Nets is not a prerequisite for this course.
Description
To systematically investigate biological systems experimental and computational approaches can be combined. To understand a biological system, structural and dynamic properties can be represented in a computational model describing the entities involved and their interaction. This course aims at making students aware of formal, mathematically precise, approaches to the faithful modelling of biological processes. In an interdisciplinary approach we will investigate how to construct and analyse such models using the framework of the modelling technique Petri nets and related tools. Biological case studies will be used as a guide to the modelling of biological phenomena.
This course is a combination of lectures, seminar sessions with student presentations, practical assignments and project work. After a few introductory lectures and two practical sessions on using Petri Net tools, groups will be formed to work on small projects to model aspects of a given biological process using Petri nets. Knowledge of Biology (the case studies) or Computer Science (Petri Nets) is not a prerequisite.
Presence at all meetings is mandatory.
The students’ projects may serve as a stepping stone to a computer science master project.
Course objectives
becoming acquainted with uses of modelling techniques for biological research
gaining theoretical knowledge of the modelling framework of Petri nets
critically presenting and discussing academic papers
translating a biological case study (a process) into a formal and executable model
presenting the approach followed
Timetable
The most recent timetable can be found at the LIACS website
Mode of instruction
Lectures
Computer practical
Seminar sessions
Presentation of own work (including a written report following a template)
Assessment method
Grading is based on
presence and active participation (10%)
Petri Nets assignments (10%)
participation in presentations/discussions within the group of relevant literature (20%)
contribution to a project: modeling, presentation, report (60%)
The final mark is the weighted average of the above as indicated, but under the addional condition that both
the result for the first 40% (three bullets)
and the result for the last 60% (bullet) mentioned
should be sufficient (at least 5.5).
Reading list
Literature will be provided during the course.
Registration
You have to sign up for classes and examinations (including resits) in uSis. Check this link for more information and activity codes.
Contact information
Study coordinator Computer Science, Riet Derogee