Challenges and opportunities in systems biology education

Systems biology requires combining deep understanding in biology with technological methods and computational approaches to acquire new insights. Accordingly, students need to gain knowledge in very different disciplines and their integration to succeed in this truly interdisciplinary field. This review summarizes a variety of study lines at the master’s level and uses student and alumni feedback to highlight the main challenges and useful teaching approaches. Education in systems biology needs to be carefully designed to deliver deep knowledge in core aspects while still giving a broad overview of others. Teachers will need to find a good balance here. Integrated experimental and computational courses, as well as active learning approaches, can be key components of successful curricula. Training native systems biologists needs commitment by teachers and institutions and should start as early as possible.