Introduction to biophysics 1100-4BW23

The purpose of these lectures, planned as an introduction into the subject, is to acquaint the students with molecular biophysics as being one of the branches of contemporary physics. The lectures consist of two parts. The first part forms a kind of a core presenting theoretical and experimental basis of molecular biophysics. The second part presents selected problems taken from the scientific literature of the last 10-15 years and is a subject of some modifications every new year.

Program:
1. Short history of molecular biophysics.
2. Review of basic notions of general and organic chemistry.
3. Theoretical basis of molecular biophysics( quantum mechanics, thermodynamics, statistical physics, electrodynamics, hydrodynamics).
4. Review of basic molecular components of living cells (proteins, nucleic acids, saccharides, lipids, metal ions, water).
5. Experimental methods of molecular biophysics (UV-Vis spectroscopy, NMR spectroscopy, CD spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, electron microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, x-ray crystallography, ultracentrifugation, viscosimetry, microcalorimetry, relaxation methods, nanotechnologies).
6. Computer methods In molecular biophysics (molecular quantum mechanics, molecular dynamics, stochastic dynamics, Monte Carlo methods, molecular electrostatics, molecular hydrodynamics, molecular graphics).
7. Selected problems of contemporary molecular biophysics (based on scientific literature appearing In the last 10-15 years, several from the list below, subject to modifications each year):
a) hydration and hydrophobic interactions,
b) protein folding,
c) physics of enzymes,
d) mechanisms of molecular recognition,
e) structural dynamics of chromatin,
f) membrane transport,
g) protonation equilibria in biological processes,
h) signaling in cells,
i) molecular motors,
j) mechanisms of gene regulation,
k) molecular mechanisms of senses,
l) molecular basis of biological evolution,
m) free energy simulations in molecular biophysics,
n) new methods of sampling conformational phasespace of proteins,

Final remarks: attendance at the lectures is recommended as the program is based on a wide spectrum of sources and is being constantly improved and modified. Prerequisites necessary to understand material presented during the lectures obey all introductory courses In physics (Physics I-V), Quantum Mechanics I, and Electrodynamics.
Credit for the lectures is given based on written exam consisting of 10 questions/problerms to be answered/solved in a short form.

Materials can be found on the web page: http://www.biogeo.uw.edu.pl/wbf/

Description by Jan Antosiewicz, January 2010.