Illinois Physics 498: Introduction to Biological Physics
We will apply simple yet powerful ideas of physics to gain some understanding of biology. (What is the inertia of a bacteria and how does this affect its behavior?) We will begin with atoms, move to molecules, then macromolecules, then …
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| Abstract | 
We will apply simple yet powerful
ideas of physics to gain some understanding of biology. (What is the
inertia of a bacteria and how does this affect its behavior?) We will
begin with atoms, move to molecules, then macromolecules, then cells,
and finally whole systems. For example, how do we see? The answer:
photons cause the release of chemicals that create electricity. How do
we move? The answer: tiny biomolecular motors break chemical bonds,
using the energy to create force and motion with efficiencies that put
man-made machines to shame. These motors, and indeed, much of biology
at the molecular level, operate at the nanometer (one-billionth of a
meter) and picoNewton (1 trillionth of a pound) scales. How can we
measure such tiny things? Come find out! No prior biology knowledge or prerequisites, since the course includes a molecular biology primer.
Course Website |
|---|---|
| Credits | Physics 498: Introduction to Biological Physics, Spring 08 University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL |
| Cite this work | Researchers should cite this work as follows: |
| Tags |
| Lecture Number/Topic | Breeze | Video | Lecture Notes (PDF) | Supplemental Material | Suggested Exercises |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture 1: Introduction to Biophysics Understanding biology using simple ideas from physics |
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| Lecture 2: Central Dogma of Biology; Partition Function Nucleic Acids, DNA,RNA, Cell size, Nucleotides, Boltzman factor, Partition function |
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| Lecture 3: Nucleic Acids, RNA, and Proteins Nucleic Acids, Proteins, DNA Dimensions and Stability, How to make a nucleotide |
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| Lecture 4 : Applications of DNA Technology: FISH, PCR, Forensics FISH (Florescence In Situ Hybridization), Gene Arrays("Chips") can be made |
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| Lecture 5: Magnetic Traps & DNA Introduction I |
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| Lecture 6: Magnetic Tweezers Introduction II and Applications |
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| Lecture 7: Single-Molecule of ATPase ATPase - How it produces ATP? |
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| Lecture 8: Resolutions X-ray diffraction (atomic resolution) Electron (Imaging) Microscopy (nm-scale) Visible (Imaging) Microscopy (nm - µm) |
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| Lecture 9: X-ray Structure and FIONA Accuracy vs. Resolution Measuring atomic distances Biomolecular Motors: Intra- AND Extra-Cellular Motion |
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| Lecture 10: Mutagenesis Site-Directed Mutagenesis to Isolate and Mutate DNA (for FIONA) |
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| Lecture 11: FIONA (Fluorescence Imaging with One Nanometer Accuracy) Fluorescence Imaging with One Nanometer Accuracy, Specificity to look at heads Nanometer spatial localization, Second temporal resolution, Single Molecule sensitivity Single Molecule Photostability |
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| Lecture 12: Ultra-Resolution SHREC (Single molecule High Resolution Co localization), SHRIMP (Super-High Resolution Imaging with Photobleaching), DOPI (Defocused Orientation Position Imaging), PALM (PhotoActivated Localization … |
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| Lecture 13: Enhancing Resolution - FIONA - SHREC - DOPI - PALM - STORM Current Methods of obtaining higher resolution using: FIONA : Flouresence Imaging with One Nanometer Accuracy SHREC : Single molecule High Resolution Co-localization DOPI : Defocused Orientation … |
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| Lecture 14: FRET and Helicase Activity FRET: measuring conformational changes of (single) biomolecules, Unzipping mystery of helicases |
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| Lecture 15: Confocal and STED Microscopy Confocal Detection, Energy Transfer, Confocal Microscopy, STED (Stimulated Emission Depletion),Improved resolution |
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| Lecture 16: Optical Traps - Part 1 First Optical Trap built, Reflection, Refraction, Brownian motionYann Chemla - Assistant Professor of Physics - University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana |
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| Lecture 17: Diffusion - Part 1 Diffusion, Directed motors, Thermal motion, nerve synapse, Efficiency of Diffusion |
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| Lecture 18: Magnetotaxis Biochemical Mechanisms for Magnetic Orientation in Animals, guest lecture Klaus Schulten. |
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| Lecture 19: Optical Traps - Part2 Biological application of optical traps, High resolution optical trapping, Brownian noise |
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| Lecture 20: Diffusion - Part2 Diffusion and bacteria moving, power consumed by bacteria, Introduction to Reynolds number, Where Bacteria Live, How E. Coli move and swim, |
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| Lecture 21: Nerves Ion Channels,Ionic current, Gating current, Digital Ion Channels, Structural studies, X-ray Crystallography |
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| Lecture 22: Conformational Changes in Ion Channels Voltage dependence, Spontaneous shut-off, Nerve Impulse propagation, Structure Pore Domain, Voltage Sensor |
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| Lecture 23: Vision Summary of Ion Channels, Vision , Visual System, The Eye, Structure of the Eye, Signal Processing, Diffraction and Pupil |
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| Lecture 24: The 4 Molecules of life Atoms, Molecules, Macromolecules, you! Amino Acids, Sugars used as signals, Fatty Acids/Lipids |
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