Courses

All Teaching Units (TU)  are mandatory.
 

TU1 - Upgrading classes

AIUBOO10 - TU1- Upgrading classes (1st year; Theoretical course; 3 ECTS)
 

The upgrading classes would bring students to a basic understanding of the various foundational courses that make up the BOOST teaching units. This is done in order to introduce (for students who have no experience) and to refresh (for students who already have experience) students to the variety of modules and concepts in the study of biocontrol.

TU2 - BOOST School

AIUBOO11 - TU2 - Introduction to Biocontrol (1st year; 3 ECTS)
 

December month starts with a BOOST School of one week, where seminars offer an unique opportunity for students to connect with major actors of the Biocontrol and Biostimulant communities.

Students have the opportunity to interact one on one and share ideas and opinions with the various professionals present would be given the opportunity for a brief poster presentation.

See BOOST School details

TU3 - Data analysis 1

AIUBOO12 - TU3 - Data analysis 1 (24 hours; 1st year; Theoretical course; 3 ECTS)

The objectives of this course are (i) to familiarize students with the use of R for statistical analyses and (ii) to learn the basics of the most common statistical models applicable to biocontrol experiments. Students will be introduced to the use of R to clean, manipulate, analyze, and present scientific data. The course includes a mixture of theoretical elements on statistical models and exercises to allow students to learn statistical analyses through practice.

TU4 - Law & IP 1

AIUBOO13 - TU4 - Law & IP 1 (24 hours; 1st year; Theoretical course; 3 ECTS)

During the Law and IP 1 teaching unit, students will be introduced to the fundamentals of Environmental and Intellectual property laws. The objective is to understand how environmental and IP laws are regulated, which are the major international treaties and how those would concern the everyday work of a future professional in the field of biocontrol, and more generally in the scientific field. Lectures are provided by law professionals and include active interactions with students.   

TU5 - Management 1

AIUBOO21 - TU5 - Management 1 (24 hours; 1st year; Theoretical course; 3 ECTS)

The Management 1 course aims to provide students with the tools to understand the basics of project management: from the definition and planning of a project to its execution and termination. The course consists of lectures given by management professionals during which students actively participate in discussions.

TU6 - Natural products for biocontrol

AIUBOO14 - TU6 - Natural products for biocontrol (24 hours; 1st year; Theoretical course; 3 ECTS)

The “Natural products for biocontrol” course introduces students to the large diversity of biopesticides that are based on living organisms and bioactive compounds which are recognized as a promising pest management tool in plant protection. This transdisciplinary course is underpinned by several scientific fields such as biochemistry, molecular biology, microbiology, plant & insect physiology, interaction biology, chemical ecology, neurobiology.
The main objective of TU06 is to provide a basic knowledge on biopesticides. The students will be led to a better understanding of their diversity in terms of nature (botanical, microbial, chemical mediators) and uses (e.g. attract & kill strategy) as well as their modes of action. They will also be introduced to secondary plant metabolites and their biocidal role to deeper understand the origin and the role of such molecules inside the plants.
In practice, TU6 will include lectures on botanical pesticides and plant secondary metabolites, microbial pesticides and chemical mediators as well as their mode of actions. Students will have to identify relevant scientific documents and analyse them in order to provide reports as graphical abstract and oral presentation.

TU7 - Analytical chemistry and formulation

AIUBOO15 - TU7 - Analytical chemistry and formulation (24 hours; 1st year; Theoretical course; 3 ECTS)
 

This course gives an introduction to analytical chemistry and an overview of important analytical methods and their range of application within detection of inorganic and organic compounds. Important analytical quantitative techniques from classical methods, electrochemical methods, spectrochemical/spectrophotometric methods, mass spectrometry and separation techniques are reviewed. The course also includes a range of descriptions of both primary and secondary metabolites as well as different extraction techniques involved. The course gives information on encapsulation of various products and the various techniques that can be applied depending on the state and property of the product.

TU8 - Plant responses to biotic stresses and sustainable management of plant tolerance

AIUBOO16 - TU8 - Plant responses to biotic stresses and sustainable management of plant tolerance (24 hours; 1st year; Theoretical course; 3 ECTS)

This course explores how plants interact with the biotic components of their environment with key interests on crop improvement, plant breeding and managing disease resistance. The place and application of biotechnology in the process of crop improvement and protection would be generally and extensively discussed here as concepts like mapping, classical breeding, molecular markers and marker assisted selection would be studied.

TU9 - Interactions : evolution and adaptation 1

AIUBOO22 - TU9 - Interactions : evolution and adaptation 1 (24 hours; 1st year; Theoretical course; 3 ECTS)
 

In this course, the obligatory and facultative multitrophic interactions between insects and microbes would be extensively studied such as insect-virus and insect bacteria interactions. The effect/impact of these symbionts on the insects would also be discussed as well as how they alter the life of the insects and influence its behavior and adaptation to factors in its environment. Here, concepts such as sex determination and its consequences, cytoplasmic incompatibility, silencing of genes, etc would be detailed.

TU10 - Biodiversity for Biocontrol in Agrosystems

AIUBOO17 - TU10 - Biodiversity for Biocontrol in Agrosystems (24 hours; 1st year; Theoretical course; 3 ECTS)

This course introduces students to the large biodiversity that exists in agrosystems and how the different actors and players are linked. Here, various theories and their methodologies would be explored as well as important features to be considered for the improvement of biocontrol. Concepts such as genetic, taxonomic and functional biodiversity would be discussed.