Signal transduction

The aim of the course is to provide a comprehensive and detailed understanding of the principal cellular mechanisms through which animals and plants respond to internal and external stimuli and change their metabolism accordingly. This course focuses on mechanisms of intracellular signal transduction in eukaryotes. We will analyze specific topics on several, well-characterized signaling pathways, and important, useful experimental approaches to study signal transduction. We will compare conserved and non-conserved aspects during evolution. The course will also involve in-depth critical discussions of specific topics in the signaling field.

Students will acquire the cultural and methodological tools for the critical analysis and understanding of the molecular mechanisms of signal transduction. The student will apply theoretical knowledge gained during the course to the comprehension and analysis of scientific papers related to the course topics. At the end of the course the students will have learned the modern methodological approaches that represent the cultural tools to gain autonomy in the study of cellular and molecular biology research projects.