Master in Systems Biology and Metabolomics

Systems Biology and Metabolomics at Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg centres on the reprogramming mechanisms of metabolism in relation to transcriptional, metabolomic, physiological, phenotypic, and behavioural changes, including how these link to disease development. Students apply current techniques in metabolomics and bioanalytics — including chromatography and mass spectrometry — to carry out gene function analysis and stress response analysis, while bioinformatics and computational approaches illuminate metabolic networks and systems-level behaviour. The programme spans four semesters and admits students in both the winter and summer semester. During the first year, students complete two theoretical courses and one practical course per topic, each assessed by graded examination. The third and fourth semesters shift to specialised research training, with students embedded in ongoing research projects and developing the capacity to independently plan and execute experimental and theoretical work. The master's thesis is preceded by a twelve-week preparatory practical course. The curriculum also addresses functional RNAs such as miRNAs and lncRNAs, modelling in functional genomics, and the integration of metabolic networks with regulatory networks. Large-scale data analysis, including next-generation sequencing and proteomics data, forms part of the scientific toolkit students acquire. The programme is offered at Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg in Würzburg, Germany.