Economic Principles in Cell Biology          

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Summer school “Economic Principles in Cell Biology” - University of Vienna, July 23-26, 2025

Welcome  -  Schedule and teachers  -  Practical information

Topics of the course

The summer school is centered around the topics of our free and open textbook “Economic principles in cell biology” about cellular physiology and resource allocation, and will feature a number of (existing or planned) chapters as lectures. The course addresses students and young researchers with a natural science, engineering, or mathematics background. The first lectures give an introduction to basic metabolic and cell modeling, followed by lectures about more specific topics such as biological behaviour in the presence of randomness.

Course schedule

Wednesday July 23

Thursday July 24

Friday July 25

Saturday July 26

(Basics)

(Metabolic models)

(Cell models)

(Advanced)

(10 am)


 


The economy
of the cell  


Optimization of
metabolic fluxes


Principles of
cell growth 


Optimal cell
behavior in time

(11 am)


 


An inventory of
cell components


The enzyme cost of
metabolic fluxes


Growth balance
analysis


Diversity of metabolic
flux distributions

(noon)

Lunch break

Lunch break

Lunch break

Lunch break

(1 pm)

Get-together

Practical work (2)

Practical work (4)

Practical work (7)

(2 pm)


 


Cell metabolism
 


Optimization of
metabolic states

Practical work (5)
 
 


Economy of organ
form and function

(3 pm)

Coffee break

Coffee break

Coffee break

Coffee break

(3:30 pm)

Practical work (1)

Practical work (3)

Practical work (6)

Practical work (8)

(4:30 pm)

 

Group photo,
drinks, and posters

Break
 


 

Course feedback
 

(5 pm)


 


Night Science

Break


 

(6 pm)

Farewell dinner

 Zoom lecture (for online participants)  -  Hours are Vienna time (CEST)

Course activities

Lectures

  1. The economy of the cell (Meike Wortel / Wolfram Liebermeister / Diana Széliová)
  2. An inventory of cell components (Diana Széliová / Pranas Grigaitis)
  3. Cell metabolism (Pranas Grigaitis / Steffen Waldherr)
  4. Optimization of metabolic fluxes (Felipe Scott Contador / Steffen Waldherr)
  5. The enzyme cost of metabolic fluxes (Elad Noor)
  6. Optimization of metabolic states (Meike Wortel)
  7. Principles of cell growth (Hollie Hindley)
  8. Growth balance analysis (Hugo Dourado)
  9. Optimal cell behavior in time (Hidde de Jong)
  10. Diversity of metabolic flux distributions (Marcelo Rivas-Astroza / Roberto Mulet)
  11. Economy of organ form and function (Frédérique Noël)

Hands-on computer exercises ("Practical work")

  1. Introduction to Python & Jupyter (1) (Elad Noor / Michela Pauletti)
  2. Flux Balance Analysis (2) (Felipe Scott Contador)
  3. Elementary Flux Modes (3) (Diana Széliová)
  4. Optimal enzyme profiles (4) (Elad Noor)
  5. Optimal metabolic states (5) (Meike Wortel)
  6. Self-replicating cells (6) (Hollie J. Hindley)
  7. Flux variability and entropy (7) (Marcelo Rivas-Astroza / Roberto Mulet)
  8. Dynamic Flux Balance Analysis (8) (Steffen Waldherr)

Other activities

  1. Poster session
  2. Night science session (Martin Lercher)

Night Science

On Thursday we will host a Night Science session, a course on the creative scientific process, developed by Itai Yanai and Martin Lercher.

Website: night-science.org
Editorials: www.biomedcentral.com/collections/night-science
Podcast: nightscience.buzzsprout.com (with links to spotify etc.)

Teachers

  1. Diana Széliová, Universität Wien
  2. Elad Noor, Weizmann Institute of Science
  3. Felipe Scott Contador, Universidad de los Andes
  4. Frédérique Noël, Sorbonne Université
  5. Hidde de Jong, INRIA
  6. Hollie J. Hindley, University of Edinburgh
  7. Hugo Dourado, Heinrich-Heine Universität Düsseldorf
  8. Marcelo Rivas-Astroza, UTEM Chile
  9. Martin Lercher, Heinrich-Heine Universität Düsseldorf
  10. Meike Wortel, Universiteit van Amsterdam
  11. Michela Pauletti, Universitätsklinikum Würzburg
  12. Pranas Grigaitis, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
  13. Roberto Mulet, Universidad de La Habana
  14. Steffen Waldherr, Universität Wien
  15. Wolfram Liebermeister, INRAE