Cell Population Dynamics
A.Y. 2023/2024
Learning objectives
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.
Expected learning outcomes
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.
Lesson period: Second semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
Second semester
Course syllabus
- modeling of cell movements in cell culture: examples of cell migration and invasion assays.
-modeling of cell population changes in cell culture: density/contact
-related changes (contact-inhibition etc), signaling-related examples
(i.e. induction of polarization in MDCK cells, 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 mechanobiology that can be modeled cell population
studies in cell cultures.
-modeling of concerted cell behavior in vivo (i.e cell migration and cell
intercalation during Drosophila embryogenesis, differentiation and
asymmetric cell divisions in Drosophila larval and pupal development, planar tissue polarization in Drosophila, 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. induction of polarization in MDCK cells, 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 mechanobiology that can be modeled cell population
studies in cell cultures.
-modeling of concerted cell behavior in vivo (i.e cell migration and cell
intercalation during Drosophila embryogenesis, differentiation and
asymmetric cell divisions in Drosophila larval and pupal development, planar tissue polarization in Drosophila, 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)
Prerequisites for admission
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.
Teaching methods
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 and will be ideally inspired by flipped classroom concepts. Practical activities with include hands on analysis of quantitative cell and tissue 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.
Teaching Resources
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.
Assessment methods and Criteria
I will assess the students using 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 - COMPARATIVE ANATOMY AND CYTOLOGY
BIO/13 - EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
BIO/17 - HISTOLOGY
BIO/13 - EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
BIO/17 - HISTOLOGY
Practicals: 32 hours
Lessons: 32 hours
Lessons: 32 hours
Professor:
Vaccari Thomas
Educational website(s)
Professor(s)