M1 AIV courses

Recent progress in integrative biology owes much to emerging new fields, such as molecular medicine, (post-) genomics, systems biology, and synthetic biology, as well as to the generalization of experimental techniques such as microscopy, micro-fluidics, and nanotechnologies and to progress with respect to the modeling of living systems, data analysis, and understanding the physical mechanisms involved in biological phenomena. Thus, among its obligatory modules, the integrative biology M1 year includes courses that describe major advances, concepts, and tools used in domains that for many did not even exist a decade ago.

The Systems Biology, Synthetic Biology, and Medicine & Science courses are therefore concerned with the fundamentals of integrative biology, whereas the Computational Biology, Statistics for Systems Biology, and Systems & Dynamics of Living Systems courses describe, among other things, the contribution of accessory disciplines, such as computer science, mathematics, physics, and modeling. In addition, the Experimental Methods for Biology courses introduce certain essential techniques, such as microscopy and micro-fluidics, which are today revolutionizing life science studies. AIV students must choose at least four of those courses, plus one complementary module. Other complementary modules may be taken as options, in order to strengthen the student's competence in his/her initial discipline. AIV faculty must approve the choice of modules, according to the student's curriculum and training program. Courses are chosen from among those offered in the AIV program itself, as well as by AIV's French and international partners.

AIV is particularly intent on sharing its courses with other Masters programs at University Denis Diderot, thereby providing a wide choice of complementary training. In addition, the AIV core curriculum features regularly scheduled seminars delivered by French and international scientists, which relate examples of interdisciplinary life-science research or that present in detail certain aspects of research, such as laboratory life, organization of research, history of biology, and biology and ethics. In order to facilitate transitions between and among disciplines, all courses begin with a review session intended to raise students' knowledge to the level needed to follow the course. In addition, some tutorial sections are organized in the form of tutorial workshops, in which students interact to prepare oral report directly related to the topics covered. The training is concluded by a long internship (five months) that may be carried out in a laboratory proposing an integrative approach to biology, or within the framework of a collective project, such as the iGEM synthetic biology competition.

In order to validate the M1 year, students must obtain a total of 60 credits (4x6+2x3 = 30 credits for the core courses, 24 for the internship and 6 for the optional course).

AIV is particularly intent on sharing its courses with other Masters programs at University Denis Diderot, thereby providing a wide choice of complementary training. In addition, the AIV core curriculum features regularly scheduled seminars delivered by French and international scientists, which relate examples of interdisciplinary life-science research or that present in detail certain aspects of research, such as laboratory life, organization of research, history of biology, and biology and ethics. In order to facilitate transitions between and among disciplines, all courses begin with a review session intended to raise students' knowledge to the level needed to follow the course. In addition, some tutorial sections are organized in the form of tutorial workshops, in which students interact to prepare oral report directly related to the topics covered. The training is concluded by a long internship (five months) that may be carried out in a laboratory proposing an integrative approach to biology, or within the framework of a collective project, such as the iGEM synthetic biology competition.

In order to validate the M1 year, students must obtain a total of 60 credits (4x6+2x3 = 30 credits for the core courses, 24 for the internship and 6 for the optional course).