Experimental Methods in Biophysics

Catalog description

There is an extensive array of powerful and elegant tools used to obtain quantitative and qualitative information about the physics of biology. New, cutting-edge techniques are being developed by labs around the world every day. To solve important problems in biophysics, an understanding of the capabilities and limitations of the current instrumental methods is needed. This course will focus on the physical principles of biophysical instrumentation so that appropriate choices and efficient use of measurement tools can be made. Exposure to instrumentation in core facilities around campus will link lectures to practical demonstrations of the operation of instrumentation. Techniques applied to a diversity of biological macromolecules and assemblies from the molecular level of proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, up to higher organization of cells, cellular organisms and tissues will be discussed. Topics covered include spectroscopic methods (IR/vis/UV/X-ray regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, absorption, fluorescence, circular dichroism, dynamic light scattering, Raman, electron paramagnetic resonance, NMR), microscopy techniques (electron, atomic force, scanning tunneling, optical), separation techniques (sedimentation, centrifugation, chromatography), crystallography, calorimetry, mass spectrometry, single molecule detection, cell sorting, functional genomics and proteomics and laboratory evolution. Biological examples from historical and current literature will be used to demonstrate the merits of each of the methods. Offered as PHYS 330 and PHYS 430 . Prereq: PHYS 122 or PHYS 124 .