Master in Quantitative Biology

The Master's degree course in Quantitative biology (QB) prepares graduates in biological and biotechnological disciplines to operate at the intersection between biology and physics. The quantitative approach requires a physical understanding of biological phenomena and the development of mathematical and computational tools for the analysis, understanding, and redesign of biological systems. The aim is to train a new generation of experts with integrated skills in biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics and computer science, able to perform accurate experimental measurements and apply predictive theoretical models, to explain biological complexity. Quantitative biology uses emerging technological and computational capabilities to model biological processes for biotechnological applications such as protein and metabolic engineering, drug discovery and synthetic biology.

It is therefore proposed a path that includes training activities aimed at acquiring in-depth knowledge of: (a) biochemical and biophysical aspects of cellular processes and molecular interactions; (b) experimental methodologies for the study and measurement of these processes; (c) analytical techniques and protocols used in structural biology and molecular and cellular biophysics studies; (d) technical bases of modelling in systems biology for the study of interactions in complex biological systems; (e) linear algebra, matrix calculus and its use in the description of dynamic biological phenomena and to understand the basis of artificial intelligence (machine learning); (f) Python programming language and its use for statistical data analysis; (g) formal logic elements

Characteristic and related mandatory teachings (72 CFU, of which 6 CFU with guided choice) include teachings on quantitative aspects of the main molecular and cellular biological disciplines, teachings on chemistry involving spectroscopy and its applications in biology; aspects of statistical analysis of data and errors, measurements of nanoscale interactions between biomolecules, programming elements in Python and machine learning aspects, linear and matrix algebra, description of dynamic systems using differential equations. In addition, 12 CFU will be freely chosen by the students among all the teachings activated by the University of Milan, provided they are consistent with the training project and 3 CFU for other activities (Italian language skills for foreigner students or seminars and orientation to the world of work). Finally, the course includes, as a qualifying moment of training and acquisition of skills, an experimental thesis lasting at least 33 CFU. The Thesis Internship must be carried out in research laboratories of the University of Milan or in other public or private institutions, national or foreign, after approval, and provides for the production of a written thesis, in which the original results of the research are reported.

The Master's degree in Quantitative Biology provides employment opportunities in research institutes and industry in the areas of bio-nano-technologies, bio-pharmaceutical research, and in the development of high-tech research instrumentation.

- Primary duties of a graduate in QB can range from analyze and optimize pre/clinical trials and predict outcomes using modeling and simulation, integration and interpretation of data from many sources to help drive project decisions, apply molecular modeling and computer aided drug design techniques, basic use and maintenance of laboratory instrumentation, literature review.

- Skills: Autonomy, precision, ability to synthesize, problem solving through modeling and simulation, goal-orientation and excellent predisposition to work in team, good/excellent level of written and spoken English, good direct intervention capacity on the instrumentation on both, the hardware and the software of the instrument.

- The graduate in QB can be hired as junior research scientist, product scientist, bio-nanotechnologist, junior research project manager, scientific application specialist, scientific equipment services specialist.

The University of Milan is a public teaching and research university, which - with 8 faculties and 2 schools and a teaching staff of more than 2000 professors - is distinguished by its wide variety of disciplinary fields. A leading institute in Italy and Europe for scientific productivity, the University of Milan is the largest university in the region, with approximately 64,000 students; it is also an important resource for the socio-economic context of which it is a part. Milan is, in fact, the capital of Lombardy, one of the most dynamic and international regions in the European Union, a leader in the national economy that stands at the Italian forefront of research and development investments and commitment to technological innovation.

The University of Milan also possesses a remarkable artistic and cultural heritage that includes important historic buildings, inherited and acquired collections, archives, botanical gardens and the old Brera Observatory commissioned by Maria Teresa of Austria. The University’s departments are housed in important historic edifices in the center of Milan and in modern buildings in the area known as Città Studi (the City of Studies). Among the palazzos that house the University’s facilities are the old Ca' Granda (the big house) – a monumental complex from the 15th-century in the heart of the historical city centre - the 18th-century Palazzo Greppi designed by Giuseppe Piermarini – who built the Scala Theatre in Milan – and the 17th-century Sant’Alessandro College commissioned by the Arcimboldi family. The book collection , which is one of the richest in the region, is preserved in 47 libraries, while the APICE Centre collects rare and valuable book stocks and archives. The University also has a Choir and its own Orchestra, which actively contributes to the cultural life of the city and receives international acknowledgments on an increasingly frequent basis.