The Master’s Programme in Integrative Synthetic Biology (MISB) comprises 120 ECTS credits and will run across four semesters, from October 2021 to June 2023.

The course is structured into four mandatory theoretical/practical modules worth 90 credits (60 ECTS to be take in the first academic year and 30 ECTS in the second) and the Master’s Thesis worth 30 credits (to be submitted and assessed in the second year).

Module I - Fundamentals of Integrative Synthetic Biology Research (25 credits)

Lecturers from the teaching faculty will explain the fundamental aspects of synthetic biology in this module, including its uses in biomedicine and biotechnology, as well as related research topics. Part of the teaching will be face-to-face (45+15 min.), although teaching may also take place online. The final section of each class will be a seminar format between the lecturer and students on aspects explained in class, and a specific monograph paper will be handed out for home study by students. Class content and the monographs will form the basis for specific work or short exercises that will be taken into account for overall class marks in this module. There will also be a series of journal club sessions for students to present scientific articles assigned to them by the lecturers. The module will also include practical seminars, tutorials, etc.

The module itself is split into two subjects: Basic Principles and Research Topics in Integrative Synthetic Biology (15 credits) and Advanced Methods in Integrative Synthetic Biology (10 credits)

Module II - Frontiers of Integrative Synthetic Biology Research (30 credits)

This module is organised around advanced seminars and workshops.

A particularly relevant aspect of the work at CSIC research centres is the stays undertaken by internationally renowned researchers, both for established scientific collaboration and to attend ad hoc symposia and meetings. In this sense, a series of advanced seminars will be organised where top researchers in different fields of integrative synthetic biology will give lectures (in-person or online) about topics that supplement the training taken by students in other areas.

These monthly advanced seminars are designed for students on the master’s programme to meet international speakers. The seminars provide a triple training dynamic with maximum returns for students from a full morning (or afternoon) session:

Attendance at each seminar after studying one or two scientific monographs provided by the speaker(s).

A discussion between the master’s students and the speaker(s) immediately after the seminar regarding specific aspects and issues that have come out of the lecture. This seminar will include one of the teaching faculty from the master’s programme who will facilitate the discussion (without leading the debate). The session will last 30-60 minutes and may be held over lunch or an informal coffee break, where appropriate.

Lastly, and without attendance from the speaker, the master’s lecturer who has attended the entire working session will propose a discussion topic for students linked to the lecture. Each student will be required to write a short report to be submitted within one week about the content looked at and the perspectives offered in the activity.

With a view to shoring up students’ learning, three to four workshops on specific topics in cutting-edge research linked to the course will be organised. The workshops will last one full day and welcome two to four speakers. The preparation outline and tasks to be undertaken by students shall follow the same format as for the advanced seminars.

The proposed format for this module, both for seminars and workshops, means every seminar or workshop comes with a major tutorial component before and after each event, equivalent to four hours per seminar or workshop.

The module is split into two subjects: Frontiers of Integrative Synthetic Biology Research I (15 credits), which will be taught in the first and second semesters of the course, and Frontiers of Integrative Synthetic Biology Research I (15 credits), which will be taught in the third and fourth semesters of the course.

Module III - Professional Development Workshops in Integrative Synthetic Biology (10 credits)

This module comprises specific workshops (face-to-face or online) held throughout the master’s programme, where students will receive training across a wide selection of topics linked to scientific research. They represent a highly valued part of the programme’s technology transfer activities.

The module is split into two subjects: Professional Development Workshops in Integrative Synthetic Biology I (5 credits), taught in the second semester, and Professional Development Workshops in Integrative Synthetic Biology II (5 credits), taught in the third semester.

Module IV - Integrated Laboratories in Integrative Synthetic Biology (25 credits)

This module is directly linked to research and includes lab rotations and tutored activities that introduce students to research. Students will develop an initial research project in the labs under tutor supervision. The activities include: identifying the objective to attain on the project; project planning; undertaking experimental work and learning methodologies; data collection and analysis; interpreting data and, finally, writing a report and public presentation of the work undertaken.

The module is split into two subjects: Integrated Laboratory in Integrative Synthetic Biology I (15 credits), taught in the second semester, and Integrated Laboratory in Integrative Synthetic Biology II (10 credits), taught in the third semester.

The module also includes workshops on scientific research methodology to bolster the lessons learnt in the lab rotations: design and critical thinking for experiments (semester 2); scientific literature (semester 2); writing scientific manuscripts (semester 3), and oral presentation of scientific work (semester 3).

Module V - Master’s Thesis (30 credits)

Research areas linked to research projects by lecturers on the master’s programme will be proposed as topics for the master’s thesis. These areas shall generally be in line with the topics from the blocks in Module 1:

. ASSEMBLY: reconstitution of molecular systems and complexes

. SYNTHESIS: integrating functional modules in synthetic and natural cells

. BIOFACTORIES: synthetic biology in biotechnology and biomedicine.

Progress on the master’s thesis will be periodically assessed by the thesis supervisor and by other researchers not directly linked to the thesis.

The thesis shall comprise two sections: a written report (with a set format) and a 30-minute public oral presentation. The oral defence of the project will also involve an innovative format: individual presentations shall be incorporated into a two-day scientific conference/symposium for the master’s that will be open to all scientific faculty members and the master’s assessment committee.

These conference days aim for all students to personally get to know the presented projects. In this sense, the oral defence shall represent a platform to exchange ideas and experiences. The days will offer open access for all, not just those individuals involved in the master’s programme. They will be publicised through the usual channels used by the UIMP and CSIC to announce activities, thus boosting their visibility and attracting new students to the programme.

The main aim of this research master’s programme organised by the UIMP, in collaboration with the CSIC, is to provide postgraduate students with advanced training in the frontiers of biosciences and their molecular and cell fields in a cutting-edge scientific setting.

The MISB master’s programme will focus on Synthetic Integrative Biology—one of the most dynamic fields in life sciences that involves a radically new approach by introducing the use of engineering principles to study biological problems. The programme aims to design and construct new biological entities or redesign existing biological systems to re-program organisms and create high value-added products for society in areas such as health or the environment.

The cumulative experience from the first four editions of the Master’s in Molecular and Cellular Integrative Biology – MCIB (2016-2019), as well as the six editions of the UIMP-CSIC School of Molecular and Cellular Integrative Biology (2014-2019), within the framework of the UIMP summer courses in Santander, has enabled direct contact and opinions to be collected and contrasted from around 300 of the best young graduates in biosciences at Spanish universities, in addition to around 200 top lecturers and researchers from different scientific disciplines who work in research and teaching in Spain and overseas. The clear conclusion from this contact is that now is the time for an initiative such as the one presented here to be offered by a Spanish university, crossing and bringing together the frontiers between classic scientific disciplines.

The MISB will uphold the integrated approaches and disciplines that framed the MCIB (fundamental aspects, applications in biotechnology and biomedicine, cutting-edge technologies), as well as the module and subject format from the original programme.

The MISB will be a pioneering advanced training programme in Spain (indeed, the very first master’s programme in synthetic biology in Spain), preparing future generations of researchers and technologists in this dynamic, interdisciplinary field of science by introducing a new attractive component: the training programme is based on the multidisciplinary research activities at CSIC centres (in this instance, the Margarita Salas CIB, the central node for the course, in close ties with the other two leading centres in synthetic biology at the CSIC—the CNB and the Institute for Integrative Systems Biology [I2SysBio]). It will also collaborate with groups from other CSIC institutes, specifically the Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology of Cantabria (IBBTEC), the Rocasolano Institute of Physical Chemistry (IQFR) and the Institute of Catalysis and Petrochemistry (ICP) beyond the theoretical content of the teaching programme. In this sense, the iSynBio master’s programme (like its predecessor, the MCIB) underscores the immense advanced training potential of the knowledge that is created every day at CSIC research centres. We believe that this course will not only benefit students but also researchers at the centres, since it will represent a driving force for related scientific programmes. In our opinion, the participating centres are an optimum setting to put the MISB project into practice, as integrative synthetic biology is one of their hallmarks.

These integrated studies on natural and synthetic systems will contribute to improving student knowledge about the fundamental principles of biological function, and be the basis to developing their skills in new biotechnology and biomedicine applications that are specifically focused on integrating approaches and levels to understand and extract the full inherent potential of biological complexity.

CG1 - Master research skills and methods inherent to Integrative Synthetic Biology.

CG2 - Critically approach the topics covered in Integrative Synthetic Biology.

CG3 - Contribute to developing new ideas (models or hypotheses, strategies, methodologies or combinations thereof) in the field of Integrative Synthetic Biology.

CG4 - Communicate with colleagues in the field of Integrative Synthetic Biology to pass on knowledge about molecular and cell aspects of synthetic biology and their applications in environmental and biomedical fields.

CG5 - Understand the impact of scientific and methodological advances in generating knowledge and developing new technologies with applications for improving health and the environment.

CG6 - Contribute to ongoing research, expanding knowledge in the field of Integrative Synthetic Biology, with the possibility of being published in the same way as professional researchers communicate their scientific undertakings.

CT1 - Prepare, write and publicly defend scientific and technical reports.

CT2 - Work in multidisciplinary teams.

CT3 - Develop independence and effectiveness in daily research.

CT4 - Boost motivation for scientific research.

CT5 - Acquire core training in technology transfer.

CE1 - Analyse the structural features of biological macromolecules and their interactions to give rise to functionally active complexes.

CE2 - Apply chemical and biological approaches to molecular recognition studies and developing drugs.

CE3 - Typify minimal natural and synthetic systems to improve our knowledge about the fundamental principles of biological function that will be the basis for new bio/nano-technology and biomedicine applications.

CE4 - Develop a comprehensive overview of the advances in fundamental molecular and cell biology research, and its applications in biomedicine and/or the environment.

CE5 - Direct and competently develop experimental work in a research lab for structural and chemical biology, molecular and cell biology, environmental biology and molecular and cellular medicine.

CE6 - Use experimental methodologies and associated instruments used in the field of research into Integrative Synthetic Biology.

CE7 - Design and manage a science and technology project with objectiveness, integrity and transparency for society.

Students able to take the course must hold one or more of the following qualifications: a degree in Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Pharmacy, Medicine, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering or Bioengineering.

Moreover, applicants must have a B2 level of English or equivalent.

The MISB programme aims for students to attain an advanced level of training in topics linked to fundamental biology and cutting-edge technologies, environmental biology and biomedicine, which will be analysed as part of integrated research—a hallmark of the master’s programme—that combines chemical, structural, molecular, cellular, synthetic and systemic approaches.

After completing the corresponding teaching modules and the master’s thesis, students will have attained a series of skills enabling them to undertake their future activity in both the academic and professional spheres, so that they are able to transmit knowledge at different levels and continue research into specialised areas in these fields, as well as in the field of management and business linked to cell and molecular aspects in biosciences.

Admission with an official degree from Spain or the European Higher Education Area (EHEA): admission to the Master’s Programme in Synthetic Integrative Biology requires applicants to hold an official university degree from Spain or from a higher education institution in another EHEA state that enables them, in the issuing country of the qualification, to be admitted to university master’s programmes, with a particular preference for graduates in Biochemistry, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Pharmacy, Medicine, Engineering or similar official qualifications. Moreover, applicants must have a B2 level of English or equivalent.

Admission with a non-EHEA university degree: candidates from non-EHEA education systems may be admitted without having to validate their qualifications, providing they accredit a training level equivalent to official Spanish university qualifications that allow them to be admitted to postgraduate training in the issuing country of their qualification.

Admission of these students requires a favourable resolution issued by the Vice Chancellor. The Vice Chancellor’s decision shall in no way imply validation of the previous qualification held by the candidate, nor its accreditation for other purposes except for taking the master’s programme.

Applications for admission must be done through the ‘online pre-registration’ form on the UIMP website: http://www.uimp.es/preins/index.php. When formalising their pre-registration, applicants must attach PDF scans of the required documentation. These documents do not need to be officially authenticated for pre-registration. Nonetheless, it would be advisable to have them authenticated as this will be required to formalise enrolment in the event that candidates are admitted to the programme.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FOR THE ADMISSION APPLICATION

1. A photocopy of applicants’ DNI (for Spanish citizens) or passport or NIE ID card (for non-Spanish citizens).

2. A photocopy of their degree that qualifies them for admission to master’s studies, or a receipt of having paid the issuance fees for their degree certificate.

3. Personal academic certificate.

4. A passport-sized photo in JPG format; the file name must be the surname(s) and name of the student without any spaces.

5. Curriculum vitae (four pages max.) in PDF format to enable other merits in line with the admission profile to be assessed.

Students who have a foreign degree that has not been validated or is currently being validated shall also provide the following:

6. A certificate from the university where they studied for their degree that states that the qualification provides admission to postgraduate studies in the issuing country.

7. A personal academic certificate that states the official length in academic years of their degree, the syllabus followed, the subjects taken, the marks awarded and the class load for each subject.

N.B.: Students who have a foreign degree that has not been validated or is currently being validated shall submit the documents duly authenticated and accompanied by a Spanish translation, where applicable.

Original documentation must ONLY be submitted at the Student Secretary’s Office (C/ Isaac Peral 23. 28040 Madrid, Spain) in the event that the application for admission is approved by the Master’s Academic Commission.

STUDENTS WITH SPECIFIC EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

Universal access shall be ensured and students with disabilities shall have the necessary resources and support to be able to properly undertake the master’s programme. For this purpose, they shall be asked to indicate their specific needs during pre-registration. The UIMP Protocol for supporting students with specific educational needs due to disability may be viewed at this link.

The admission process will assess:

Academic transcripts weighted by the average mark and final year: 50 points.

Curriculum vitae: 15 points.

Suitable candidate profile for the programme objectives and content (brief letter of personal motivation): 20 points. The reasons for wanting to take the programme, the aspects that the programme will help bolster in candidates’ professional career pathways and their academic affinity with the master’s programme will be reviewed.

Personal interview: 10 points. Aspects such as the following will be reviewed: communication ability (clarity and precision in transmitting ideas), level of commitment to personal development and a predisposition for initiative and innovation.

Other merits: 5 points.

The Academic Commission for the Master’s Programme is the body charged with reviewing and assessing submitted applications and approving proposed candidates for admission, in line with the aforementioned criteria.

La Comisión Académica del Máster es el órgano encargado de examinar y valorar las solicitudes de admisión presentadas y de aprobar la propuesta de candidatos admitidos, según los criterios indicados anteriormente.

Once students are enrolled, they will receive an e-mail containing all the necessary information to be able to take the master’s programme in-person or online. The supervisors for the master’s programme will permanently advise students regarding whatever they may need to properly follow their training. Supervisors will hold periodic meetings with students to look over their learning and training process, and consider any aspect they deem appropriate.

Before the master’s programme begins, students will attend a welcome session where the master’s management team will present how the course is organised, the operational guidelines, contact information for support staff and lecturers, the procedure to make any queries or request training advice, etc.

Moreover, there will be a permanent tutorial procedure in place, at students’ request, run by lecturers who teach on the programme. Where necessary, lecturers may prepare a study and work plan for students who they shall then monitor.

Students will also receive support from module coordinators who shall monitor their individual progress, performance, motivation, commitment, etc. in the module as a whole.

Lastly, all students will have a personal tutor when writing their thesis, who shall be assigned by the academic commission.

The academic commission shall also ensure students are supported and advised, as well as assess the guidance procedures and results.

In addition to all of the above, students will receive support and advice from the UIMP Student Secretary’s Office and the CIB/CSIC support staff.

The UIMP Website contains full information regarding available postgraduate qualifications and programmes, resources available to students, and relevant information and links to each of the available programmes. Furthermore, all the information will also be available on the specific website for the master’s programme.

Germán Rivas Caballero, Research Lecturer, Centre for Biological Research (CIB-CSIC)

A broad selection of research groups at CIB, internationally recognized for their innovative research, will form the core faculty of MCIB, actively contributing to the training and education of the enrolled students.

Using state of the art approaches, faculty members aim to answer essential questions relevant to basic and applied biological and biomedical research.

Detailed information about professors associated with the program can be consulted on the "Syllabus" section on this web page.

Profesores coordinadores de asignaturas

Germán Rivas Caballero, Research Professor, Centre for Biological Research (CIB-CSIC)

Rafael Giraldo Suárez, Research Professor, Centre for Biological Research (CIB-CSIC)

Sonsoles Martín Santamaría, Senior Scientist, Centre for Biological Research (CIB-CSIC)

Patricia Boya Tremoleda, Senior Scientist, Centre for Biological Research (CIB-CSIC)

Miguel Ángel Peñalva Soto, Research Professor, Centre for Biological Research (CIB-CSIC)

María Cristina Vega Fernández, Senior Scientist, Centre for Biological Research (CIB-CSIC)

Mercedes Jiménez Sarmiento, Senior Scientist, Centre for Biological Research (CIB-CSIC)

Ruth Pérez Pérez, Senior Scientist, Centre for Biological Research (CIB-CSIC)

Rodrigo Bermejo Moreno, Senior Scientist, Centre for Biological Research (CIB-CSIC)

Manuel Carmona Pérez, Senior Scientist, Centre for Biological Research (CIB-CSIC)

José Miguel Mancheño Gómez, Senior Scientist, Centre for Biological Research (CIB-CSIC)

María Pajares Tarancón, Scientific Researcher Centre for Biological Research (CIB-CSIC)