Forces at cell and molecular level. Elements of cell physiology. Fourier series and transform applied to the study of biological signals. Examples of low and high resolution structural studies.
S. Massari - Elementi di Biofisica - Piccin Editore
J. Howard: Mechanics of motor proteins and the cytoskeleton - Sinauer Ass. Inc.
D.J. Aidley: The physiology of excitable cells - Cambridge University Press
H.C. Berg: Random walks in Biology - Princeton University Press
Learning Objectives
Knowledge acquired:
Forces and diffusion at cell and molecular level.Examples of biophysical methods and applications to the study of physiological problems.
Competence acquired
Use of analysis of periodical signals and of model simulations.
Skills acquired (at the end of the course):
Capability to understand a biological problem and to find the adequate techniques and methods for quantitative modeling.
Prerequisites
Basic Physics
Teaching Methods
Total hours of the course (including the time spent in attending lectures, seminars, private study, examinations, etc...): 150
Hours reserved to private study and other indivual formative activities:
96
Contact hours for: Lectures (hours):
48
Contact hours for: Laboratory (hours): 0
Contact hours for: Laboratory-field/practice (hours): 0
Seminars (hours): 6
Further information
Frequency of lectures, practice and lab:
4h/week
Teaching tools
Computer software and internet connection
Type of Assessment
The exam will be a colloquium to verify how the student is able to manage the acquired knowledge and in particular for the understanding of the microscopic scale world. It will be also evaluated the ability to identify the possible applications and the limits of some of the studied biophysical techniques.
Course program
Molecular biophysic. The world at the microscopic level: forces that determine structure, movement and interaction between biological macromolecules. The role of v iscous forces: life at low Reynolds numbers. Random walks and diffusion: Fick equation. Cell biophysics. Electrochemical potential: derivation of Nernst-Planck equation and integration across the cell membrane. Goldman equation and multi-ionic equilibrium in the cell. Generation and propagation of the nerve impulse: ionic channels. Cell motility: molecular motors.Biophysical techniques. X-ray diffraction: general principles; determination of molecular structures with protein crystallography; fibre diffraction: structural studies of muscle contraction. Fluorescence and fluorescence anisotropy applied to the study of intra- and inter-molecular motion.