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BiophysicsBiophysics (also biological physics) is an interdisciplinary science that applies theories and methods of the physical sciences to questions of biology.
Biophysics research today comprises of a number of specific biological studies. These studies do not share a unique identifying factor, or subject themselves to clear and concise definitions. This is the result of biophysics' relatively recent appearance as a scientific discipline. The studies included under the umbrella of biophysics ranges from sequence comparison to neural networks. In the recent past, biophysics included creating mechanical limbs and nanomachines to regulate biological functions. Nowadays, these are more commonly referred to as belonging to the fields of bioengineering and nanotechnology respectively. We may expect these definitions to further refine themselves.
Overview
Biophysics often does not have university-level departments of its own, but have presence as groups across departments within the fields of biology, biochemistry, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, medicine, pharmacology, physiology, physics, and neuroscience. What follows is a list of examples of how each department applies it's efforts toward the study of biophysics. This list is hardly all inclusive. Nor does each subject of study belong exclusively to any particular department. Each academic institution makes it's own rules and there is much mixing between departments.
- Biology and molecular biology - Almost all biophysics efforts are included in some biology department somewhere. To include some: gene regulation, single protein dynamics, bioenergetics, patch clamping, phylogenetic tree, biological structures.
- Biochemistry and chemistry - biomolecular structure, siRNA, nucleic acid structure.
- Computer science - sequence comparison, neural networks.
- Mathematics - population modeling, fluid dynamics.
- Medicine and neuroscience - tackling neural networks experimentally (brain slicing) as well as theoretically (computer models), membrane permitivity, gene therapy, understanding tumors.
- Pharmacology and physiology - channel biology, biomolecular interactions, cellular membranes, polyketides.
- Physics - biomolecular free energy, biomolecular structures and dynamics, protein folding, stochastic processes, surface dynamics.
Many biophysical techniques are unique to this field.
Some of the research traditions in biophysics were initiated by scientists who were physicists, although many of the scientists who call themselves biophysicists today are not.
Topics in biophysics and related fields
Famous biophysicists
Other notable biophysicists
References
- Perutz M.F. Proteins and Nucleic Acids, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1962
- Perutz M.F. The haemoglobin molecule.- Proc.Roy.Soc., B 173, 1969, pp. 113-140
- Dogonadze R.R. and Urushadze Z.D. Semi-Classical Method of Calculation of Rates of Chemical Reactions Proceeding in Polar Liquids.- J.Electroanal.Chem., 32, 1971, pp. 235-245
- Volkenshtein M.V., Dogonadze R.R., Madumarov A.K., Urushadze Z.D. and Kharkats Yu.I. Theory of Enzyme Catalysis.- Molekuliarnaya Biologia (Moscow), 6, 1972, pp. 431-439 (In Russian, English summary)
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The Biophysical Society
A FASEB member and publisher of the "Biophysical Journal." Extensive resources include an online textbook, meetings, and career placement.
http://www.biophysics.org/
Nucleic Acid Hydration
Annotated overview of the hydration of nucleic acids along with proteins and polysaccharides.
http://www.sbu.ac.uk/water/nucleic.html
SPR Web Pages
Describes surface plasmon resonance (SPR), a powerful method of measuring biomolecular interactions in a label-free environment.
http://home.hccnet.nl/ja.marquart/
Quantum Biology
Brief nanotechnology article on the merging of quantum physicics and molecular biology. Includes journal citations and relevant Web links.
http://nanotech.about.com/science/nanotech/library/weekly/aa062500a.htm
Electrophysiology of Plants
Describes the membrane and action potentials of enzymatically isolated giant plant protoplasts and induction of electrofusion along with its mechanisms.
http://web-mcb.agr.ehime-u.ac.jp/english/biophys/default.htm
British Biophysical Society
The BBS aims to promote the physical characterisation and understanding of biomolecular functions.
http://www.cryst.bbk.ac.uk/BBS/bbs.html
Medical Biophysics
An online community for the study of medical biophysics at UWO. Supports user submitted comments, community contributed papers, full text searches, and class resources.
http://www.uwo.ca/biophysics/
UIUC Chapter of Illinois Biophysics Society
Hopes to create an educational and friendly environment where biophysics students can keep in touch and socialize at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
http://www.life.uiuc.edu/biophysics/ibs/
NEC Lectures on Biophysics
Biological networks course for physics students and fellows, 16-20 June 2002: Princeton, NJ. Includes schedule from last year, profiles of speakers, and application information.
http://www.neci.nj.nec.com/biophysics
Structural Biology Network (SBNet)
The SBNet, hosted by Uppsala University, unites academic and industrial structural biologists. Its goal is to strengthen the strategic value of structural biology in Sweden.
http://xray.bmc.uu.se/sbnet/
International Society for Electrical Bio-Impedance
Promotes research and development of electrical impedance measurements as a means of assessing normal and abnormal physiological states in medicine and biology.
http://www.isebi.org/
BioCoRE
The Biological Collaborative Research Environment (BioCoRE) for Structural Biology is a web-based, tool-oriented collaboratory for biomedical research and training.
http://www.ks.uiuc.edu/Research/biocore/
Physiology and Biophysics
Lists higher education, association and resource links within the field. A part of Cornell University's World Wide Web Virtual Library.
http://physiology.med.cornell.edu/WWWVL/PhysioWeb.html
International School on Magnetic Resonance and Brain Function
A course on NMR tools for the brain function investigation at the Univ. of Rome, Italy.
http://centrofermi-nmr.phys.uniroma1.it/
Biological Energy Conversion
UIUC course explores the major mechanisms of bioenergetics, with particular emphasis on respiration and photosynthesis, and the tools required to describe these processes.
http://www.life.uiuc.edu/crofts/bioph354/index.html
Bioelectromagnetics Society
The Society promotes scientific study of the interaction of electromagnetic energy and acoustic energy with biological systems.
http://www.bioelectromagnetics.org/
Thermosynthesis
Thermosynthesis theory shows how organisms can use or may have used thermal cycling as an energy source, yielded the scaffolding for the origin and evolution of life.
http://www.geocities.com/ResearchTriangle/Node/5345/
Electrophysiology and the Molecular Basis of Excitability
Simulations of ion channels and excitable membranes including diffusion, membrane potentials, nerve voltage clamp, and propagated action potentials.
http://pb010.anes.ucla.edu/
European Biophysical Societies' Association
Disseminates knowledge of the principles and applications of biophysics, and fosters the exchange of scientific information among European biophysicists.
http://www.ebsa.org/
iii21 SCESim
Single Channel Experiment Simulator is a program for simulation of biophysical experiments with clusters of ion channels.
http://www.iii21.sk
BioMagResBank
Database for NMR spectroscopy information on biomolecules hosted at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
http://www.bmrb.wisc.edu/
Society for Mathematical Biology
A forum for discussion of research in biology, mathematical-biology, and mathematics applied to or motivated by biology.
http://www.smb.org/
BioScience Research Tool
Specialized directory of online tools and resources on biophysics selected for scientists.
http://biochemie.net/links/Biophysics/
Respiratory Mucociliary Structure and Function
Robert Hendrix's page on the mechanical structure and function of respiratory cilia.
http://members.aol.com/tiermensch/index.html
International Union for Pure and Applied Biophysics
Established worldwide professional society based in England for all biophysics-related disiplines.
http://www.iupab.org/
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