Cell population dynamics
A.A. 2024/2025
Obiettivi formativi
The course will endow the students with theoretical as well as practical knowledge of cell population dynamics in animal biology. I will focus on examples of concerted cell behaviors that have been biophysically-characterized and/or mathematically modeled. Several aspects of cell populations will be considered and covered: movements, rearrangements, concerted signaling and gene expression. Hands-on activities in the teaching lab will focus on examples of cell polarization and migration in tissue culture, as well as cell rearrangements in vivo using Drosophila melanogaster as a model.
Risultati apprendimento attesi
Students will acquire understanding of the state of the art in studying behaviors of cell populations. In particular:
-they will learn the techniques utilized to visualize cell changes, both those involving averaging and those describing single cells.
- they will be able to select the appropriate system and apply the correct set of descriptors to answer typical quantitative questions in the field of cell and tissue biology.
-they will develop a critical capacity to evaluate relevant experimental examples provided by published studies.
-they will practice communication of the qualitative and quantitative aspects of relevant studies keeping in mind different target audiences.
-they will learn the techniques utilized to visualize cell changes, both those involving averaging and those describing single cells.
- they will be able to select the appropriate system and apply the correct set of descriptors to answer typical quantitative questions in the field of cell and tissue biology.
-they will develop a critical capacity to evaluate relevant experimental examples provided by published studies.
-they will practice communication of the qualitative and quantitative aspects of relevant studies keeping in mind different target audiences.
Periodo: Secondo semestre
Modalità di valutazione: Esame
Giudizio di valutazione: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Corso singolo
Questo insegnamento non può essere seguito come corso singolo. Puoi trovare gli insegnamenti disponibili consultando il catalogo corsi singoli.
Programma e organizzazione didattica
Edizione unica
Responsabile
Periodo
Secondo semestre
Programma
-modeling of cell movements in cell culture: examples of cell migration.
-modeling of cell population changes in cell culture: density/contact
-related changes (contact-inhibition etc), signaling-related examples
(i.e. epithelial to mesenchymal
transition, growth of spheroids and organoids, etc).
-descriptions of cell behaviors in tissue culture (i.e single cell tracking, cell population heterogenicity, molecular markers and reporters of cell population changes, etc).
-aspects of bioengineering that can be modeled.
-modeling of concerted cell behavior in vivo (i.e cell migration/cell
intercalation/cell organization in Drosophila, cell organization and behavior in organoids, ex-vivo section etc)
- methods for advanced data extraction from live and fixed cells and associated biophysical descriptions (i.e. Examples of imaging and description of tumor-related cell behaviors, single cell sequencing, spatial proteomics, etc)
-modeling of cell population changes in cell culture: density/contact
-related changes (contact-inhibition etc), signaling-related examples
(i.e. epithelial to mesenchymal
transition, growth of spheroids and organoids, etc).
-descriptions of cell behaviors in tissue culture (i.e single cell tracking, cell population heterogenicity, molecular markers and reporters of cell population changes, etc).
-aspects of bioengineering that can be modeled.
-modeling of concerted cell behavior in vivo (i.e cell migration/cell
intercalation/cell organization in Drosophila, cell organization and behavior in organoids, ex-vivo section etc)
- methods for advanced data extraction from live and fixed cells and associated biophysical descriptions (i.e. Examples of imaging and description of tumor-related cell behaviors, single cell sequencing, spatial proteomics, etc)
Prerequisiti
Bachelor knowledge of cell biology, tissue and tumor biology and
developmental biology, rudiments of genetics and molecular biology.
developmental biology, rudiments of genetics and molecular biology.
Metodi didattici
The course is organized as a lecture series provided by expert in the field of quantitative cell and tissue biology complemented by few introductory lectures. There will be ample question time and case study discussion. Lectures will require student participation. Practical activities will include hands on analysis of quantitative experiments. Given the exceptional nature of the course as lecture serie and the unicity of the speakers, students not chosing the optional course attending 9 of the 16 lectures are eligible to receive 3 credits. Detaild of this possibility will be clearly communicated at the beginning of the course.
Materiale di riferimento
The slide presentation and additional material will be made available. I might use a set of case papers that pioneered the approaches listed in the topics.
Modalità di verifica dell’apprendimento e criteri di valutazione
I will assess the students using a multiple choice and an oral exam after the end of the course. Depending on the number of students,
I might also evaluate their performance in a set of classroom as well as teaching lab activities
I might also evaluate their performance in a set of classroom as well as teaching lab activities
BIO/06 - ANATOMIA COMPARATA E CITOLOGIA - CFU: 1
BIO/13 - BIOLOGIA APPLICATA - CFU: 4
BIO/17 - ISTOLOGIA - CFU: 1
BIO/13 - BIOLOGIA APPLICATA - CFU: 4
BIO/17 - ISTOLOGIA - CFU: 1
Esercitazioni: 32 ore
Lezioni: 32 ore
Lezioni: 32 ore
Docente:
Vaccari Thomas
Docente/i