Adaptive Organisms

This Master's specialisation offers a challenging research-orientated programme that covers the fundamental processes involved in stress responses of plants, micro-organisms and animals.

How do plants adapt in areas with regular flooding or drought? And what are the consequences of an increase of water acidity for a fish or a micro-organism? In the Adaptive Organisms specialisation, you'll become an expert in stress adaptation of individual organisms. Next to in-depth courses about molecular physiology, ecophysiology and quantitative biology, you'll spend at least a whole year performing your own experiments. In this way, you'll learn hands-on to work with advanced equipment including electron microscopes and mass spectrometers and you'll develop a critical research mentality.

Knowledge about stress adaptation is crucial for our society. Think of animal well-being, nature conservation, agriculture and biotechnology. Radboud University connects fundamental research to these real life situations, by collaborating with governmental organisations, NGOs and biotech companies. These are also the organisations where most Adaptive Organisms students end up after graduation or after obtaining their PhD, either as a researcher or in a research-related job such as policy officer or consultant.