Systems & Synthetic biology, Information & Interactions (S2I2)

 

The Systems & Synthetic biology, Information and Interactions track (S212) offers an interdisciplinary curriculum in integrative biology, focusing on the emerging fields of systems biology and synthetic biology, as well as on the interface between the web sciences (Information and Communication Technologies, CT) track and medicine, health, and life sciences. It applies quantitative experimental and modeling tools to the study of fundamental aspects of systems that are larger than their parts (e.g., genetic and social networks and the web).

 

 

The originality of S212 is its interdisciplinary approach, based on active collaboration among students from different backgrounds (engineering, biology, medicine, physics, mathematics, chemistry, computer science, humanities...). S212 amounts to training for research through research. This track consists of three 14-week internship rotations (at least one experimental and one theoretical), as is the case in leading life-science graduate programs around the world. We strongly encourage students to do one internship in the private sector. Another internship may be in a laboratory outside France. The internship rotations enable students to acquire a wide spectrum of state-of-the-art concepts and technical competence. They also encourage students' initiatives in creating their own research projects (which are often too compartmentalized,) including crossdisciplinary collaboration. In parallel, students take courses that cover a wide-range of themes and participate in seminars and web 2.0 interactions aimed at developing critical thinking, scientific questioning, and project design.

 

Environment: Students in the S2l2 track benefit not only from the rich interactions available in the BME-Paris master's program, but also from the wealth of activities hosted by the Center for Research and Interdisciplinarity (CRI; cri-paris.org), which hosts both AIV master's program and the Liliane Bettencourt Frontiers of Life Sciences (FdV) PhD program.

Elements of preparation for professional life and research: S2l2 is designed to provide scientists, physicians, and engineers with an excellent education in emerging life-science disciplines. S212-track students are trained in a broad range of the life sciences, learn to be autonomous, and acquire the capacity to be innovative. They are provided opportunities to explore links in medicine, engineering, physics, chemistry, mathematics and computer science, the aim of taking leadership roles in public and private research establishments. Job opportunities for S212 graduates are available in academia and in innovative biotechnology enterprises, as well as in information science and the web-sector.