Dust 2 DNA
Graduate School of Health and Medical Sciences at University of Copenhagen
This course is free of charge for PhD students at Danish universities (except Copenhagen Business School), and for PhD Students from NorDoc member faculties. All other participants must pay the course fee.
Anyone can apply for the course, but if you are not a PhD student at a Danish university, you will be placed on the waiting list until enrollment deadline. This also applies to PhD students from NorDoc member faculties. After the enrollment deadline, available seats will be allocated to applicants on the waiting list.
Learning objectives
A student who has met the objectives of the course will be able to:
1. Knowledge
• The major goal of this course is that, by the end of the course, students should be able to comfortably describe, in general terms, our current understanding on the evolution from cosmic dust to planets, as well as the basic conditions needed for life to emerge on Earth-like planets
• Explain in words the following key concepts of planet formation: the interstellar medium, star formation, the origin of planetary discs, pebble drift, planetesimal formation, pebble accretion, modern observatories (ALMA, JWST)
• Explain in words the following key concepts of cosmochemistry and planetary composition: isotopic differences between meteorites, dating of meteorites, planetary differentiation, oxygen fugacity, D/H in the Solar System
• Explain in words the following key concepts of exoplanet studies: exoplanet detection methods, the current exoplanet sample, exoplanet characterization, the habitable zone
• Explain in words the following key concepts of astrobiology: LUCA, prebiotic chemistry (Urrey-Miller), membranes, RNA-world, hydrothermal systems, biosignatures
• The basic workings of a modern (cosmochemistry) lab environment
2. Skills
• Communicate your research within an interdisciplinary context
• Collaborate in small interdisciplinary work groups
• Network in an interdisciplinary environment
• Perform and reproduce short theory calculations related to key concepts
• Recognize meteorites and go towards categorizing them
3. Competences
• By the course's end, students are expected to be able to discuss and evaluate the differences between competing leading models within planet formation and evolution, the study of exoplanets, and origin of life studies.
• Effectively find and access the scientific literature for further in-depth study
• Formulate interdisciplinary research questions
• Discuss and elaborate on different definitions of life
Content
A one-week course, aimed at PhD students, that covers the journey from interstellar dust to habitable planets and the conditions for life.
The lectures, inlcuding hands-on sessions, are taught by an international team of experts and have an interdisciplanary focus. We approach planet formation, exoplanet systems and the potential for life to emerge, using perspectives from astronomy, cosmochemistry, geology, and astrobiology.
Participants
The target group is PhD students working within astrophysics, geochemistry, or biology that have an interest in origin of life research. The course level will be made generally accessible to PhD students from across the Globe Institute and will be promoted on an international level across the disciplines.
Relevance to graduate programmes
The course is relevant to PhD students from the following graduate programmes at the Graduate School of Health and Medical Sciences, UCPH:
- Life, Earth and Environmental Sciences
Language
English
Form
Lectures, discussions, preparatory reading, poster presentations and group work on exercises
Course director
Michiel Lambrechts, Associate Professor, Globe Institute, michiel.lambrechts@sund.ku.dk
Elishevah van Kooten, Assistant Professor, Globe Institute, Elishevah.vankooten@sund.ku.dk
Co-director: Anders Johansen, Professor, Globe Institute, Anders.Johansen@sund.ku.dk
Teachers
Anders Johansen, Professor, Globe Institute, Anders.Johansen@sund.ku.dk
Martin Bizzarro, Professor, Globe Institute, Bizzarro@sund.ku.dk
Elishevah van Kooten, Assistant Professor, Globe Institute, Elishevah.vanKooten@sund.ku.dk
Martin Schiller, Associate Professor, Globe Institute, Schiller@sund.ku.dk
Tue Hassenkam, Professor, Globe Institute, tue.hassenkam@sund.ku.dk
Richard Löffler, researcher, Globe Institute, richard.loffler@sund.ku.dk
Michiel Lambrechts, Associate Professor, Globe Institute, michiel.lambrechts@sund.ku.dk
External teachers
Eloi Camprubi, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, eloi.camprubicasas@utrgv.edu
Jens Hoeijmakers, Lund University, jens.hoeijmakers@fysik.lu.se
Dates
18-22 August 2025
Course location
Natural History Museum, Øster Voldgade 5-7, 1350 København K
Mærsk Tower, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 København N
Registration
Please register before 31 may 2024
Expected frequency
Yearly
Seats to PhD students from other Danish universities will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis and according to the applicable rules.
Applications from other participants will be considered after the last day of enrolment.
Note: All applicants are asked to submit invoice details in case of no-show, late cancellation or obligation to pay the course fee (typically non-PhD students). If you are a PhD student, your participation in the course must be in agreement with your principal supervisor.