Introduction to Spatiotemporal Modeling and Simulation of Biological Systems

Computational data analysis, modeling, and simulation are becoming as indispensable to the life sciences as mathematics is to physics. For three years, the Dresden Summer School in Systems Biology has provided a glimpse into this fascinating and interdisciplinary world, intended primarily for Master and Diploma students of Computer Science, Physics, Engineering, Mathematics, and related areas.

The school provides a comprehensive and intuitive introduction to spatiotemporal modeling and computer simulations of biological systems. Emphasis is placed on concepts, and jargon is avoided to the extent possible. Concepts will be demystified and explained intuitively through practical applications. The focus on biological systems is intended to allow participants to:

Analyze the dynamic behavior of systems with spatial structure (“How do I formalize the dynamics of a biological system in a mathematical model?”)
Simulate the model in the computer using numerical methods (“How do I simulate emergent behavior from simple model constituents?”)
Analyze model output and compare with experiments (“How do I validate a model and use it to plan the next experiments?”)

Hands-on tutorials are carried out in small interdisciplinary groups. Each group works on a simulation project throughout the whole week. A competition at the end of the school will award a prize to the best project. The project is proposed by the school teachers and supervised by tutors from different disciplines, who help the groups and guide them with data.

In addition to lectures and project work, we host a series of evening talks by distinguished scientists from various fields related to systems biology. These talks are intended to provide an overview of the breadth of the field also beyond the specific topic of the school.

Course leader

Prof. Dr. Ivo Sbalzarini (Technische Universität Dresden, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology & Genetics, Center for Systems Biology Dresden) Dr. Christoph Zechner (Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology & Genetics, Center for Systems

Target group

Master & Diploma-level Students in the fields of Computer Science, Physics, Engineering, Mathematics, and related areas.

Course aim

To introduce concepts of spatiotemporal modeling and computer simulations of biological systems. To explore biological applications for students with background in computer science, physics, and mathematics.