Submitted by Nicholas C. Darnton (inactive)
on Friday, 1/23/2009, at 11:42 PM
- Equilibrium in living cells.
- Thermodynamics and energy reserves in cells.
- Entropy considerations in binding problems; ligand / receptor binding and DNA / RNA polymerase binding.
- Two-state systems and cooperativity.
- Ion channels.
- Hemoglobin.
- Random walks in biology.
- Polymer theory, gambling and the drunkard's walk; DNA as a random chain.
- Protein structures as minima of free energy; the HP model.
- Water.
- Diffusion: 1D, 2D and 3D diffusion and search strategies; physics limits on diffusion-driven uptake.
- pH, screening and hydro-phobicity; protein denaturation.
- Viscosity and propulsion; strategies for locomotion; taxis and the biased random walk.
- Rates and dynamics.
- Bimolecular reaction rates; coupled reactions.
- Molecular motors; rectified Brownian motion and translocation ratchets; powered motors: linear and rotary motors.
- Regulation and networks.
- Control theory in biology; positive and negative feedback; branching instabilities.
- Oscillations in space and time; symmetry breaking and rhythms
- Small versus large numbers; epigenetics, prions and individuality; noise and sensitivity
- Experimental techniques
- X-ray and NMR structure determination; visualization software
- Optical spectroscopy, fluorescence, and FRET
- FRAP, FCS and microscopic measurements of diffusion
- Biofluidics; patterned surfaces and volumes
- Atomic force microscopy
- Single molecule techniques
- Optical tweezers.