Over the past week, international and Hungarian students participating in our Erasmus+ BIP program had the opportunity to explore various methods for modeling biological systems.

The intensive professional training was conducted by renowned professors from Utrecht University, the Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna, and Pázmány ITK. All students selected for the program are participating in Master's programs in biotechnology or bioinformatics at various universities across Europe (University of Oradea, Università di Bologna, Babes-Bolyai University).

The project week was preceded by a two-week online preparation period, during which students could prepare for the practical knowledge to be acquired during the project week through videos, supplementary materials, and online tests.

During the project week, various topics were covered, including the specialized aspects of antibody-target recognition and modeling, as well as molecular docking procedures extensively used in the pharmaceutical industry to estimate the binding modes of potentially active molecules. Students gained insights into modern image analysis techniques in molecular pathology, such as the analysis of digital slides. They also received a general overview of the characterization of microbial community models and practical training on the parameterization and analysis of related calculations, such as the competition between two cell types in a resource-limited environment.

After the intense practical sessions, students had to opportunity to take part in sightseeing walking tours and a boat trip on the Danube, and they also learnt a bit of Hungarian folk dance. The week ended with a visit to the university's laboratory in Esztergom and some leisure time in the summer toboggan park in Visegrád.

Overall, the students were highly satisfied with the program. We extend our gratitude to the lecturers for presenting such fascinating and up-to-date topics.