Experimental Models in Molecular Biomedicine (EMMB)

If you want to pursue a research career in life science research or biomedicine, then this course is the right one for you! Learn about the generation, use, application and limitation of experimental model systems in the context of life science research and molecular biomedicine.

This BIP will provide you with knowledge on different experimental models commonly used in current biomedical research, as well as on the principles of scientific methods and experimental approaches. Under the supervision of scientists and teachers from seven CIVIS universities, you will practice by designing and discussing experiments and projects to address real research questions.

Teaching within this BIP is based on team-, active- and peer-learning activities. You will be able to choose between 3 or 6 ECTS by selecting the number of virtual workshops you like to attend. Each workshop is scheduled for two weeks with virtual face-to-face sessions (1 or 3h/ week), pre-recorded lectures and peer-group tasks. The BIP concludes in one final week of physical face-to face sessions in Tübingen/Germany.

BIP structure:

• Presentation & introductory lectures: 1 week (compulsory: 3h; 1h/lecture)
• Research workshops: 4 or 7 models of your choice, 2 weeks/workshop (compulsory: 1h 1st week + 3h 2nd week)
• Physical mobility: 1 week, 5 days

Every workshop will have the same structure:

• 2 weeks of face-to face work: Monday/Wednesday/Friday 3-4pm (CET); compulsory attendance: week 1, only Friday, week 2, all three sessions for team work & presentations and peer evaluation;
• pre-recorded 1h-lecture (most important concepts behind the scientific project) plus 1 h-seminar on the teacher's research, available from week before. Teachers will be on-line Monday and Wednesday for optional Q&A sessions (non compulsory);
• 2 sessions (1h each) of team work (3-4 students) aimed at proposing and designing experiments to address the assigned specific research questions raised at the end of the seminar. These sessions will be tutorized by the teacher (teams will be split in different virtual rooms). Teams will also prepare a simple 3-4 slides-presentation;
• 2 final sessions (1 h each) in which the teams will present their proposals. These will be evaluated by both the teacher and the peer teams. Both teacher and students will be provided with evaluation rubrics.

1. The compulsory introductory lectures (week 1) will be on scientific methods, different types of experiments, the dynamics of an experimental approach, how to design research projects, how to prepare effective presentations.

2. Research workshops (virtual phase):

• Yeast as a biotechnological tool with multiple applications: a model for dietary toxicology
• Non-coding RNAs and RNA modifications in cell differentiation and disease
• Behavioral phenotyping of mouse models
• Riboseq to understand proteostasis in disease
• Human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells differentiation for tissue engineering applications
• Models to study angiogenesis
• Novel approaches to study human diseases

3. Tuebingen program (physical phase): 

• written and oral individual presentation (for individual evaluation);
• general discussions on each of the models;
• personal feedback from scientists;
• visits to companies and/or university facilities;
• closing ceremony including keynote speeches from young and senior researchers and diplomas delivery;
• city tours and local cultural activities will make the mobility experience the most enriching for all international participants.

During this BIP, students will be exposed to a realistic situation in research which is highly relevant and important for your future career as a scientist but typically not covered in traditional teaching programs. They will be confronted with scientific questions and asked to develop their own reseach strategy on how to solve those problems. In order to do so, they will need to apply both previous and gained within the BIP knowledge.

The course will lead to the following learning outcomes:

• knowledge of scientific methods, experimental approaches, basics of experimental design;
• knowledge of the rational and characteristics of different experimental models in biomedical research: yeast, advanced molecular research (epitranscriptomics, single cell-NGS), in vivo (mouse and non-mouse) approaches, novel models for physiological and pathological conditions (patient-derived tumor chips and xenografts, organoids, tissue engineering, 2D- and 3D- cell systems...);
• practice on designing experiments, assigning controls, delineating outcomes, predicting interpretations directed to answer specific research questions;
• ability to synthesize and apply all previous theroretical knowledge;
• improvement of presentation skills.

The physical component of this BIP will be hosted by the University of Tübingen (Germany) from 29 June - 3 July 2026.

Monday, 29 June:

• welcome & introduction
• wrap-up seminars by workshop teachers
• individual evaluation (written and presentation preparation)

Tuesday, 30 June – Thursday, 2 Jul:

• morning: debates on all models, individual presentations; individual feedback tutorial
• afternoon: visits to institutions, research facilities, cultural visit of the city & social programme.

Friday, 3 July:

• course wrap up
• inspiring talks by one young and one senior relevant local researchers
• certificate/ diploma ceremony
• farewell party

During the virtual phase - 9 February - 19 till June 2026 - students will participate in the introductory workshop (compulsory) and up to seven workshops (2 weeks per workshop, 3h/ week).

9-13 February: Introductory workshop (compulsory):

• Monday, 15:00 - 16:00 CET: Introductory session on Experimental Models
• Wednesday, 15:00 - 16:00 CET: training on project design
• Friday, 15:00 - 16:00 CET: training on presentation skills

In the following weeks, the individual workshops will take place. During that time, students will be confronted with actual research question and will address these questions in an interactive learning environment. Within peer groups, they will discuss with fellow participants how to address these questions and design within their group a detailed experimental study plan:

• 16 - 27 February 2026: Yeast as a biotechnological tool with multiple applications: a model for dietary toxicology
• 2 - 13 March 2026: Non-coding RNAs and RNA modifications in cell differentiation and disease
• 16 - 27 March 2026: Behavioral phenotyping of Mouse Models
• Easter break
• 13 - 24 April 2026: Riboseq to understand proteostasis in disease
• 27 April - 8 May 2026: Human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells differentiation for tissue engineering applications
• 11 - 22 May 2026: Models to study Angiogenesis
• Pentecost break
• 1 - 12 June 2026: Novel approaches to study Human Diseases
• Easter and Pentecost holidays will be free of course sessions (to respect local holidays)

All workshops (2 weeks per workshop) will follow the same structure:

prior workshop: preparation phase - watch the two pre-recorded lectures prepared by trainer

1st workshop week:

• Monday 15:00 - 16:00 CET: Q&A session I with trainer (optional)
• Wednesday 15:00 - 16:00 CET: Q&A session II with trainer (optional)
• Friday 15:00 - 16:00 CET: team work I (compulsory)

2nd workshop week:

• Monday 15:00 - 16:00 CET: team work II (compulsory)
• Wednesday 15:00 - 16:00 CET: team presentations & peer evaluation I (compulsory)
• Friday 15:00 - 16:00 CET: team presentations & peer evaluation II (compulsory)

Assessment will comprise teacher and peer evaluation. A rubric will be provided with all the details on the course organization and it will be fully explained in the first session.

Continuous evaluation (formative assessment):

• individual questionnaires - 15%
• team work & presentations (up to 7 in total) - 35%  (20% teachers + 15% peer teams)

Individual exam & presentation (summative assessment):

• written exam - 30%
• presentation - 20%

Assessment criteria for presentations include:

• Presentation (40%): design (font, colors), message (titles, diagrams), content (needed, supports speech) - 1/3 each
• Scientific proposal (60%): approach (models), experiments (methods, controls), discussion (results, readout & interpretation) - 1/3 each

Motivation Letter

Level of english (According to CEFR)

CV

Applications will be evaluated based on:

• Academic performance
• Molecular, Cell Biological, Life science courses background (ECTS number & grades)
• prior experience with experimental models/ future need of knowledge about the application of experimental models
• Motivation Letter: career plan, expectations, research interests, reasons to choose the course

Each partner will provide to the participants of the BIP different perspectives on the role and application of "Experimental Models in Molecular Biomedicine":

• Lavinia Ruta (University of Bucharest, Romania) engineers yeast and plants to model toxicology studies;
• Alessandro Fatica (Sapienza University of Rome, Italy) works on epitranscriptomics in different physiological and pathological conditions;
• Thorsten Schmidt (University of Tübingen, Germany) models neuropathologies involving ataxia genes in the mouse and performs pre-clinicalanalyses;
• Monica Roman-Trufero (Centre hospitalier universitaire vaudois, University of Lausanne, Switzerland) studies proteostasis regulation in cancer using Riboseq and other -omics approaches;
• Sorina Dinescu (University of Bucharest, Romania) works in adult stem cells;
• Isabel Sánchez (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain) investigates molecular mechanisms of antitumoral new metal drugs with different approaches and experimental models;
• Maud Martin (Université libre de Bruxelles, Belgium) studies the role of microtubules during vascular bed-specific angiogenesis;
• Dirk Schmidt-Arras and Peter Krenn (Paris Lodron University Salzburg, Austria) use innovative ex vivo models to study human diseases;
• Carmela Calés (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain) assists the course coordinator.