Course Overview:
Have you ever wondered what viruses actually are?
Have you been curious about the ways they invade our bodies, attack our cells and make us sick? Come and learn what viruses are made of and understand the mechanisms of how they hijack and take over our cells.
There is no need for a background in science – just bring your curious mind!
Our bodies are made of cells, which are amazing molecular machines. So long as everything is in working order, we feel great. But surprisingly, these unbelievably tiny parasites made of Protein and Genes – viruses – can take over and cause serious damage to our bodies.
Step by step, this course will teach you how the cells of our bodies work to keep us healthy. We will then explore the vast kingdom of viruses; especially those that have caused epidemics like the flu, AIDS and Ebola. Finally, we will systematically review our immune system, how it identifies “the enemies,” and how it takes them out.
What You’ll Learn:
- The makeup of cell structures (organelles) and their functions;
- What happens to our body when it is infected by viruses;
- How our Immune System operates to protect us;
- The pros and cons of vaccination.
Meet Your Instructor:

Jonathan Gershoni
About this course
This course focuses on conventional technologies for drinking water treatment. Unit processes, involved in the treatment chain, are discussed as well as the physical, chemical and biological processes involved. The emphasis is on the effect of treatment on water quality and the dimensions of the unit processes in the treatment chain. After the course one should be able to recognise the process units, describe their function, and make basic calculations for a preliminary design of a drinking water treatment plant.
The course consists of 4 modules:
- Introduction to drinking water treatment. In this module you learn to describe the important disciplines, schemes and evaluation criteria involved in the design phase.
- Water quality. In this module you learn to identify the drinking water quality parameters to be improved and explain what treatment train or scheme is needed.
- Groundwater treatment. In this module you learn to calculate the dimensions of the groundwater treatment processes and draw groundwater treatment schemes.
- Surface water treatment. In this module you learn to calculate the dimensions of the surface water treatment processes and draw surface water treatment schemes.
This course in combination with the courses “Introduction to Water and Climate” and “Introduction to the Treatment of Urban Sewage” forms the Water XSeries, by DelftX.
What you’ll learn
By the end of this course you will be able to:
- Recognize the process units in urban water services, focusing on basic drinking water technologies
- Describe the function of these process units
- Describe the physical and chemical processes involved
- Make simple design calculations on drinking water treatment plants

XSeries Program in Water Management
Explore water management concepts and technologies
Meet Your Instructors

Luuk Rietveld

Doris van Halem
Program overview
Safe water supply and hygienic water treatment are prerequisites for the well-being of communities all over the world. This Water XSeries, offered by the water management experts of TU Delft, will give you a unique opportunity to gain access to world-class knowledge and expertise in this field.
This 3-course series will cover questions such as: How does climate change affect water cycle and public safety? How to use existing technologies to treat groundwater and surface water so we have safe drinking water? How do we take care of sewage produced in the cities on a daily basis? You will learn what are the physical, chemical and biological processes involved; carry out simple experiments at home; and have the chance to make a basic design of a drinking water treatment plant
What will you learn
- An understanding of the global water cycle and its various processes
- The mechanisms of climate change and their effects on water systems
- Drinking treatment and quality of groundwater and surfacewater
- The major pollutants that are present in the sewage
- The physical, chemical, and biological processes involved in water treatment and distribution
- How urban water services function and the technologies they use
Program Class List
1Urban Sewage Treatment
Course Details
2Drinking Water Treatment
Course Details
3Introduction to Water and Climate
Course Details
Meet Your Instructors

Caroline Katsman

Nick van de Giesen

Herman Russchenberg

Hubert Savenije

Marcel Stive

Luuk Rietveld

Doris van Halem

Anke Grefte

Jules van Lier

Merle de Kreuk
What you’ll learn
By the end of this course you will be able to:
- Identify personal and performance competencies for project management
- Build a plan for developing required project management competencies
- Analyze how team dynamics and culture can influence a project
- Link organizational change management to customer service and delivery readiness
- Comprehend strategies for managing distributed team projects

XSeries Program in Water Management
Explore water management concepts and technologies
Meet Your Instructors

Jules van Lier

Merle de Kreuk
About this course
Principles of Biochemistry integrates an introduction to the structure of macromolecules and a biochemical approach to cellular function. Topics addressing protein function will include enzyme kinetics, the characterization of major metabolic pathways and their interconnection into tightly regulated networks, and the manipulation of enzymes and pathways with mutations or drugs. An exploration of simple cells (red blood cells) to more complex tissues (muscle and liver) will be used as a framework to discuss the progression in metabolic complexity. Learners will also develop problem solving and analytical skills that are more generally applicable to the life sciences.
What you’ll learn
The structure and function of the chemical building blocks of life
How to navigate protein structures using PyMOL
The central role of enzymes in catalyzing the reactions of life
The primary metabolic pathways that power cells
The intricate mechanisms that regulate cellular metabolism
The integration of biochemical processes in the context of cells, tissues, and whole organisms
Prerequisites
College-level Introductory Biology
College-level Introductory General Chemistry, including basic Organic Chemistry
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Meet your instructors

Alain Viel
