Computational methods are rapidly gaining importance in all fields of biology. Computational data analysis, modeling, and simulation are on the way to become as indispensable to the life sciences as mathematics is to physics (according to “Science 2020” report, Microsoft Research). This practical course provides lectures and tutored hands-on training in basic computational methods for the spatio-temporal modeling and simulation of biological systems. It is intended for Master and PhD students with a strong interest in computational approaches. The participants will learn how to account for the geometry of a system and for transport in space. They will be introduced to a powerful numerical simulation method, and have enough time and supporting tutors to implement and try all of the taught concepts and methods themselves. We will recapitulate the necessary basics from mathematics and physics, and focus on ready-to-use recipes (akin to experimental protocols) to simulate biochemical reactions, diffusion, and flows. Despite our focus on biological systems, the taught methods are generally applicable to any kind of dynamic system, in order to:

• Analyze the dynamic behavior of systems with spatial structure,

• Formulate a model of the system behavior,

• Simulate the model in the computer using numerical methods.