The MCB Curriculum
The programme starts at the beginning of October and consists of 4 semesters (2 years). However, with careful planning, it can also be completed in 18 months. In the first semester, you will attend two lecture courses called Frontiers in Bioscience 1 and 2 that are provided for all MSc students in biological sciences. At the same time you will participate in two advanced (3 week) practical courses including seminars. The second semester starts with Frontiers in Methodology, a module that concentrates on techniques; in addition to lectures, you choose three one-week practicals from a wide range of options. The fourth module offers the opportunity to learn about the research going on in the research groups associated to the MCB programme, and to practice writing a research proposal; at the same time you will undertake a 6-week project in a laboratory of your choice. Two further, 8-week laboratory practicals will enable you to widen your experience and choose the lab in which you would like to complete your 6-month master's thesis. Throughout the programme, you will participate in literature and research seminars in which you can learn to critically assess research papers and improve your language and presentation skills.
Click on the modules below to learn more about the contents.
Every module is worth 15 credits (ECTS), see this diagram for more details. diagram
The MCB Curriculum - Module 1
Module 1 consists of three parts:
1) The lecture series Frontiers in Bioscience 1 which covers topics like: Genome expression, Proteome & Interactome, Genome structure and evolution, Metabolome, Cell organisation and dynamics. In the end there will be an exam. More info can be found here in the course catalog.
2) a three week practical (these different practicals can change between years)
options change now and then but have a look at the Wintersemester 2023/2024 possibilities here:
Module 1
3) Each practical also includes a theme-specific literature seminar
The MCB Curriculum - Module 1
Module 1 consists of three parts:
1) The lecture series Frontiers in Bioscience 1 which covers topics like: Genome expression, Proteome & Interactome, Genome structure and evolution, Metabolome, Cell organisation and dynamics. In the end there will be an exam. More info can be found here in the course catalog.
2) a three week practical (these different practicals can change between years)
options change now and then but have a look at the Wintersemester 2023/2024 possibilities here:
Module 1
3) Each practical also includes a theme-specific literature seminar
Module 3 consists of three parts:
1) The lecture series 'Advanced Molecular & Cellular Biology' which covers topics like: Advanced mass spectrometry, Enzyme kinetics, Oxidative protein folding, Modelling of reactions, NMR, Protein folding & chaperones, Protein modelling, Yeast as a model system, Drosophila as a model system, C. elegans as a model system, Protist models and endosymbiotic organelles, Drug discovery, Drug development, Vesicular transport, Ubiquitin, SUMO and more.
In the end there will be an exam.
2) three one-week practicals, which you can choose from a large list of topics, including: Enzyme Kinetics and Protein Folding, Mass spectrometry, Quantitative analysis of sumoylation with a FRET-based enzyme assay
Quantitative Protein analytics, Functional Analysis of Protein-Lipid Interactions, Membrane Biology, Structural Biology, RNA/Ribozyme, Fluorescence Microscopy of Living Object, Drosophila Genetics, Biomolecular modelling and simulation methods, PERL for beginners, Components and Mechanisms of Signal Transduction (shared with Cancer Biology), Plasmodium, Trypanosomes, Immunology, Carbohydrates in plants and more.
3) a separate literature seminar.
In Module 4 lectures are offered on many aspects of research that are going on within the MCB programme. These are informal, with opportunity for discussion and are also meant to orient yourself towards the labrotations and your thesis. These lectures take place in February-March. Attendance is necessary for you to find out what is available, not only with regard to subjects, but also methods.
You do a six-week practical in a lab of your choice (within MCB). This must be written up as a formal report with Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion, references. Also you should do a presentation in the laboratory seminar series – either presenting your project, or a literature presentation. All of this will be marked by the supervisor.
The second examination takes the form of a project proposal for a Masters thesis. Topics for these proposals will be given by the lecturers in Module 4. You can also ask other MCB teachers but not someone from outside MCB.
Summarizing, the module consists of three parts:
1) A lecture series: Special Topics, in which group leaders introduce their research to you
2) a six week labrotation (7,5 credits)
3) writing a research proposal (7,5 credits)
The MCB Curriculum - Module 5 and Module 6
Module 5: MCB Labrotation
This is a lab practical of (at least) 8 weeks within one of the associated MCB research groups. This must be written up as a formal report with Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion, references. Also you must do a presentation in the laboratory seminar series – either presenting your project, or a literature presentation. This will be marked by the supervisor who must be a recognised MCB teacher.
Module 6: Working in Bioscience Labrotation
This is a lab practical of (at least) 8 weeks that can be done at any approved location. Before setting up a trip elsewhere please check with the coordinator. The lab practical must be written up as a formal report with Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion, references. Also you must do a presentation in the laboratory seminar series – either presenting you project, or a literature presentation.
The MCB Curriculum - Thesis
The thesis has to be done within one of the research groups associated to the MCB programme. A list of the official examiners can be found on the site of the Faculty of Biosciences.
IMPORTANT. You must register for your Masters thesis within 6 weeks of finishing modules 1-6. Otherwise you will be judged to have failed your first attempt!! If you wish to postpone registering then you must make sure that you can delay submitting the protocol (or result) for either module 4, module 5 or module 6.