The biological and medical sciences are changing rapidly. Many new discoveries now require an understanding of biological
systems from a physical point of view. In particular physics, mathematics and
computer science are becoming more essential now than ever before. The biological physics concentration is designed to supplement
the background usually provided in a standard biology, chemistry, or physics major.
Contemporary research areas in biological physics
Neuroscience
Protein conformational dynamics and folding
DNA conformational dynamics
Single molecule dynamics such as molecular motors
Cell mechanics
Information transfer in biological systems
Membrane biophysics
Multicellular phenomena
Biological networks
Effects of radiation on biological systems
Instrumentation development
Faculty Directors
Péter
Érdi, Henry R. Luce Professor of Complex Systems Studies D. Blaine
Moore, Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Assistant Professor of Biology Jan Tobochnik
Dow Distinguished Professor of Natural Science
Program
12 courses are required from the following areas:
Basic Biology (2)
Biol. 112 Evolution
Biol. 246(Cell and Molecular Biology)
Biol. 352(Biochemistry) and Biol. 124(Physiology and Ecology) are also recommended but not required.
Basic Chemistry (3)
Chem. 110, 120, 210 (Chemistry through Organic I)
Minimal Mathematics Preparation (2)
Math. 112 and 113 (Calculus I and II)
Further work in mathematics and computer science recommended.
Basic Physics (3)
Phys. 150 and 152 (Introductory Physics I and II)
Chem. 310(Physical Chemistry I) or Phys. 360 (Thermal physics)
Courses with Biological Physics topics (2)
At least two courses from
Phys. 210 (Nuclear and Medical physics)
Phys. 215(Introduction to Complex Systems)
Phys. 270(Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos)
CS/Psych. 415(Computational Neuroscience)