Uwe Sauer: Catalogue data in Spring Semester 2018

Name Prof. Dr. Uwe Sauer
FieldSystembiologie
Address
Inst. f. Molekulare Systembiologie
ETH Zürich, HPM H 28
Otto-Stern-Weg 3
8093 Zürich
SWITZERLAND
Telephone+41 44 633 36 72
E-mailsauer@imsb.biol.ethz.ch
DepartmentBiology
RelationshipFull Professor

NumberTitleECTSHoursLecturers
551-0001-AALGeneral Biology I
Enrolment ONLY for MSc students with a decree declaring this course unit as an additional admission requirement.

Any other students (e.g. incoming exchange students, doctoral students) CANNOT enrol for this course unit.
3 credits6RU. Sauer, O. Y. Martin, A. Widmer
AbstractOrganismic biology to teach the basic principles of classical and molecular genetics, evolutionary biology and phylogeny.
First in a series of two lectures given over two semesters for students of agricultural and food sciences, as well as of environmental sciences.
ObjectiveThe understanding of basic principles of biology (inheritance, evolution and phylogeny) and an overview of the diversity of life.
ContentThe structure and function of biomacromolecules; basics of metabolism; cell biology; membrane structure and function; basic energetics of cellular processes; respiration, photosynthesis; cell cycle, meiosis and sexual life cycles; Mendelian and molecular genetics; animal reproduction and behavior; sensory and motor mechanisms; population biology and evolution; principles of phylogeny.

We will treat the following Campbell chapters:

2 Atoms and molecules
3 Chemistry of water
4 Carbon: the basis of molecular diversity
5 Biological macromolecules and lipids
7 Cell structure and function
8 Cell membranes
10 Respiration: introduction to metabolism
10 Cell respiration
11 Photosynthetic processes

12 Mitosis
13 Sexual life cycles and meiosis
14 Mendelian genetics
15 Linkage and chromosomes
20 Evolution of genomes
21 How evolution works
22 Phylogentic reconstructions
23 Microevolution
24 species and speciation
25 Macroevolution
Lecture notesNo script
LiteratureCampbell et al. (2015) Biology - A Global Approach. 10th Edition (Global Edition
Prerequisites / NoticeThis is a virtual self-study lecture for non-german speakers of the "Allgemeine Biology I (551-0001-00L) lecture. The exam will be written jointly with the participants of this lecture.

Example exam questions will be discussed during the lectures, and old exam questions are kept by the various student organisations. If necessary, please contact Prof. Uwe Sauer (sauer@ethz.ch) for details regarding the exam.
551-0002-00LGeneral Biology II Restricted registration - show details 4 credits4GU. Sauer, R. Aebersold, W. Gruissem
AbstractBasics of biochemistry (macromolecules, membranes, cellular structures, metabolism), molecular genetics (gene expression and its regulation; from gene to protein), and physiology of higher plants (structure, growth, development, nutrition, transport, reproduction)
ObjectiveThe understanding of basic concepts of molecular biology and physiology.
ContentHow cells function at the level of molecules and higher structures.
Molecular processes during gene expression.
Plant physiology.

The following Campbell chapters will be covered:

Week 1-5: Prof. Sauer
5 Biological macromolecules and lipids
7 Cell structure and function
8 Cell membranes
10 Respiration: introduction to metabolism
10 Cell respiration
11 Photosynthetic processes

Week 6-9: Prof. Aebersold
16 Nucleic acids and inheritance
17 Expression of genes
18 Control of gene expression
19 DNA Technology

Week 9-13: Prof. Gruissem
35 Plant Structure and Growth
36 Transport in vascular plants
37 Plant nutrition
38 Reproduction of flowering plants
39 Plants signal and behavior
Lecture notesNo script
LiteratureCampbell, Reece et al: "Biologie" (10th global edition); Pearson 2015.
551-0003-AALGeneral Biology I+II
Enrolment ONLY for MSc students with a decree declaring this course unit as an additional admission requirement.

Any other students (e.g. incoming exchange students, doctoral students) CANNOT enrol for this course unit.
7 credits13RU. Sauer, R. Aebersold, W. Gruissem, O. Y. Martin, A. Widmer
AbstractGeneral Biology I: Organismic biology to teach the basic principles of classical and molecular genetics, evolutionary biology and phylogeny.

General Biology II: Molecular biology approach to teach the basic principles of biochemistry, cell biology, cgenetics, evolutionary biology and form and function of vacular plants.
ObjectiveGeneral Biology I: The understanding of basic principles of biology (inheritance, evolution and phylogeny) and an overview of the diversity of life.

General Biology II: The understanding basic concepts of biology: the hierarchy of the structural levels of biological organisation, with particular emphasis on the cell and its molecular functions, the fundamentals of metabolism and molecular genetics, as well as form and function of vascular plants.
ContentGeneral Biology I:
General Biology I focuses on the organismal biology aspects of genetics, evolution and diversity of life in the Campbell chapters 12-34.

Week 1-7 by Alex Widmer, Chapters 12-25
12 Cell biology Mitosis
13 Genetics Sexual life cycles and meiosis
14 Genetics Mendelian genetics
15 Genetics Linkage and chromosomes
20 Genetics Evolution of genomes
21 Evolution How evolution works
22 Evolution Phylogentic reconstructions
23 Evolution Microevolution
24 Evolution Species and speciation
25 Evolution Macroevolution

Week 8-14 by Oliver Martin, Chapters 26-34
26 Diversity of Life Introdution to viruses
27 Diversity of Life Prokaryotes
28 Diversity of Life Origin & evolution of eukaryotes
29 Diversity of Life Nonvascular&seedless vascular plants
30 Diversity of Life Seed plants
31 Diversity of Life Introduction to fungi
32 Diversity of Life Overview of animal diversity
33 Diversity of Life Introduction to invertebrates
34 Diversity of Life Origin & evolution of vertebrates


General Biology II: The structure and function of biomacromolecules; basics of metabolism; tour of the cell; membrane structure and function; basic energetics of cellular processes; respiration, photosynthesis; cell cycle, from gene to protein; structure and growth of vascular plants, resource acquisition and transport, soil and plant nutrition.

Specifically the following Campbell chapters will be covered:
3 Biochemistry Chemistry of water
4 Biochemistry Carbon: the basis of molecular diversity
5 Biochemistry Biological macromolecules and lipids
7 Cell biology Cell structure and function
8 Cell biology Cell membranes
10 Cell biology Respiration: introduction to metabolism
10 Cell biology Cell respiration
11 Cell biology Photosynthetic processes
16 Genetics Nucleic acids and inheritance
17 Genetics Expression of genes
18 Genetics Control of gene expression
19 Genetics DNA Technology
35 Plant structure&function Plant Structure and Growth
36 Plant structure&function Transport in vascular plants
37 Plant structure&function Plant nutrition
38 Plant structure&function Reproduction of flowering plants
39 Plant structure&function Plants signal and behavior
Lecture notesNo script
LiteratureCampbell et al. (2015) Biology - A Global Approach. 10th Edition (Global Edition)
Prerequisites / NoticeBasic general and organic chemistry


This is a virtual self-study lecture for non-German speakers of the "Allgemeine Biology I (551-0001-00L) and "Allgemeine Biology II (551-0002-00L) lectures. The exam will be written jointly with the participants of this lecture.
551-0324-00LSystems Biology6 credits4VR. Aebersold, B. Christen, M. Claassen, U. Sauer
AbstractIntroduction to experimental and computational methods of systems biology. By using baker’s yeast as a thread through the series, we focus on global methods for analysis of and interference with biological functions. Illustrative applications to other organisms will highlight medical and biotechnological aspects.
Objective- obtain an overview of global analytical methods
- obtain an overview of computational methods in systems biology
- understand the concepts of systems biology
ContentOverview of global analytical methods (e.g. DNA arrays, proteomics, metabolomics, fluxes etc), global interference methods (siRNA, mutant libraries, synthetic lethality etc.) and imaging methods. Introduction to mass spectrometry and proteomics. Concepts of metabolism in microbes and higher cells. Systems biology of developmental processes. Concepts of mathematical modeling and applications of computational systems biology.
Lecture notesno script
LiteratureThe course is not taught by a particular book, but some books are suggested for further reading:

- Systems biology in Practice by Klipp, Herwig, Kowald, Wierling und Lehrach. Wiley-VCH 2005
551-0342-00LMetabolomics Restricted registration - show details
Number of participants limited to 15.

The enrolment is done by the D-BIOL study administration.
6 credits7GN. Zamboni, U. Sauer
AbstractThe course covers all basic aspects of metabolome measurements, from sample sampling to mass spectrometry and data analysis. Participants work in groups and independently perform and interpret metabolomic experiments.
ObjectivePerforming and reporting a metabolomic experiment, understanding pro and cons of mass spectrometry based metabolomics. Knowledge of workflows and tools to assist experiment interpretation, and metabolite identification.
ContentBasics of metabolomics: workflows, sample preparation, targeted and untargeted mass spectrometry, instrumentation, separation techniques (GC, LC, CE), metabolite identification, data interpretation and integration, normalization, QCs, maintenance.

Soft skills to be trained: project planning, presentation, reporting, independent working style, team work.
551-1174-00LSystems Biology4 credits2V + 2UU. Sauer, K. M. Borgwardt, J. Stelling, N. Zamboni
AbstractThe course teaches computational methods and first hands-on applications by starting from biological problems/phenomena that students in the 4th semester are somewhat familiar with. During the exercises, students will obtain first experience with programming their own analyses/models for data analysis/interpretation.
ObjectiveWe will teach little if any novel biological knowledge or analysis methods, but focus on training the ability of use existing knowledge (for example from enzyme kinetics, regulatory mechanisms or analytical methods) to understand biological problems that arise when considering molecular elements in their context and to translate some of these problems into a form that can be solved by computational methods. Specific goals are:
- understand the limitations of intuitive reasoning
- obtain a first overview of computational approaches in systems biology
- train ability to translate biological problems into computational problems
- solve practical problems by programming with MATLAB
- make first experiences in computational interpretation of biological data
- understand typical abstractions in modeling molecular systems
ContentDuring the first 7 weeks, the will focus on mechanistic modeling. Starting from simple enzyme kinetics, we will move through the dynamics of small pathways that also include regulation and end with flux balance analysis of a medium size metabolic network. During the second 7 weeks, the focus will shift to the analysis of larger data sets, such as metabolomics and transcriptomics that are often generated in biology. Here we will go through multivariate statistical methods that include clustering and principal component analysis, ending with first methods to learn networks from data.
Lecture notesKein Skript
LiteratureThe course is not taught by a particular book, but two books are suggested for further reading:
- Systems Biology (Klipp, Herwig, Kowald, Wierling und Lehrach) Wiley-VCH 2009
- A First Course in Systems Biology (Eberhardt O. Voight) Garland Science 2012