Major Translational Biology

Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Wilfried Weber

Within the Major “Translational Biology” the students get familiar with the theoretical knowledge and the practical skills to translate results from fundamental research into application-oriented research. Based on a comprehensive overview of the diversity of applied biosciences, the participants will have the opportunity to focus on any of the following areas: Bioinformatics, Biomechanics and Bionics, Functional Proteomics, Plant Biotechnology, Synthetic Biology and Cell Culture Technology. The modular construction of biological systems with custom-tailored properties for biopharmaceutical and biomedical applications.

For comprehensive studies, these main topics can be complemented with suitable modules from other areas (for example biochemistry, evolutionary biology and ecology, genetics and molecular biology, microbiology, neurosciences, plant sciences or cell biology as well as from other areas upon agreement).
The broad scope of this program together with the focus on application-oriented research provides an ideal basis for a future career in both, academic and industrial research.

Content and structure of the M.Sc. Biology - Major Translational Biology

First Semester

	Experimental Design and Statistics	3 ECTS
	Orientation module “Translational Biology” (OM-01) Translating results from fundamental research into practical application Special focus on the synergies between the different fields of research. Practical development of the process chain from the gene to the biopharmaceutical	9 ECTS
	Orientation module offered by other Majors Genetics & Developmental Biology (OM-02), or Immunobiology (OM-03), or Biochemistry & Microbiology (OM-04), or Neuroscience (OM-05), or Plant sciences (OM-06), or Ecology & Evolutionary Biology (OM-07)	9 ECTS
	Orientation module offered by other Majors Genetics & Developmental Biology (OM-02), or Immunobiology (OM-03), or Biochemistry & Microbiology (OM-04), or Neuroscience (OM-05), or Plant sciences (OM-06), or Ecology & Evolutionary Biology (OM-07)	9 ECTS

⇒ Module guide "Orientation Modules"

Second Semester

	Quantitative Methods in Translational Biology (SP1-05) * Theoretical foundations for quantitatively analyzing, describing and constructing biological systems	12 ECTS

	Bioinformatics ** Practical experience into applied bioinformatics, focus on sequence analysis	9 ECTS
	Mammalian and plant cell technology ** Foundations and applications of mammalian and plant cell technology for biopharmaceuticals production	9 ECTS
	Proteomics ** Conceptual and technical approaches to the proteomic characterization of cancer cells	9 ECTS
	Another of the above listed elective modules A, oder One of the elective modules offered by other Majors, oder Laboratory internship, oder Business internship (company, industry), oder Modules offered by other faculties, oder Modules offered by other universities (abroad)	9 ECTS

⇒ Module guide "Major modules I"

⇒ Module guide "Elective modules"

* Any mandatory 12 CP module from other majors in the M.Sc. Biology curriculum can be chosen provided that it is considered reasonable in combination with the other modules chosen in this major.

** Any elective 9 CP module from other majors in the M.Sc. Biology curriculum can be chosen provided that it is considered reasonable in combination with the other modules chosen in this major.

Third Semester

	Biomechanics and Biomimetics Functional morphology and mechanical properties of plants Quantitative analysis and abstraction of principles found in the biological role models and transfer to technical applications	21 ECTS
	Functional Proteomics and Biochemistry Functional Proteomics strategies based on quantitative mass spectrometry Study of membrane proteins, protein complexes and post-translationally modified proteins in the context of biological signaling and disease research.	21 ECTS
	Plant Biotechnology Enabling technologies (genome and proteome analysis) generation and functional analysis of transgenic plants production of complex recombinant biopharmaceuticals with moss bioreactors	21 ECTS
	Synthetic Biology and Biochemistry Synthetic Biology concepts, the design, modeling, implementation and testing of synthetic biologic systems (genetic and metabolic) with respect to biomedical applications.	21 ECTS
	Project module Preparation for Master thesis	9 ECTS

⇒ Module guide "Major modules II"

Fourth Semester

	Master thesis 6 months research project in one of the groups participating in the Major Translational Biology	24 ECTS
	Master thesis seminar oral presentation of the results of the master thesis	6 ECTS

Faculty contributing to this Major

	Prof. Wilfried Weber (Biochemistry - Synthetic Biology)
	Prof. Wolfgang Hess (Genetics and Experimental Bioinformatics)
	Prof. Maja Banks-Köhn (Integrative Signalling Research)
	Prof. Ralf Reski (Plant Biotechnology)
	Prof. Winfried Römer (Synthetic Biology of Signalling Processes)
	Prof. Thomas Speck (Plant Biomechanics Group)