Advanced Techniques In Biophysics

Technical advancements are basic elements in our life. In biophysical studies, new applications and improvements in well-established techniques are being implemented every day. This book deals with advancements produced not only from a technical point of view, but also from new approaches that are being taken in the study of biophysical samples, such as nanotechniques or single-cell measurements. This book constitutes a privileged observatory for reviewing novel applications of biophysical techniques that can help the reader enter an area where the technology is progressing quickly and where a comprehensive explanation is not always to be found.

Incorporating dramatic recent advances, "Methods in Modern Biophysics" presents a fresh and timely introduction to modern biophysical methods. This innovative text surveys and explains the ten key biophysical methods, including those related to biophysical nanotechnology, scanning probe microscopy, X-ray crystallography, ion mobility spectrometry, mass spectrometry, and proteomics. Containing much information previously unavailable in tutorial form, "Methods in Modern Biophysics" employs worked examples and more than 260 illustrations to fully detail the techniques and their underlying mechanisms. The book was written for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, postdocs, researchers, lecturers and professors in biophysics, biochemistry, general biology and related fields.

Increasing numbers of physicists, chemists, and mathematicians are moving into biology, reading literature across disciplines, and mastering novel biochemical concepts. To succeed in this transition, researchers must understand on a practical level what is experimentally feasible. The number of experimental techniques in biology is vast and often s

The past decade has seen a remarkable increase in the use of electron microscopy as a researm tool in biology and medicine. Thus, most institu tions of higher learning now boast several electron optical laboratories having various levels of sophistication. Training in the routine use of elec tron optical equipment and interpretation of results is no longer restricted to a few prestigious centers. On the other hand, temniques utilized by researm workers in the ultrastructural domain have become extremely diverse and complex. Although a large number of quite excellent volumes of electron microscopic temnique are now dedicated to the basic elements available whim allow the novice to acquire a reasonable introduction to the field, relatively few books have been devoted to a discussion of more ad vanced temnical aspects of the art. It was with this view that the present volume was conceived as a handy reference for workers already having some background in the field, as an information source for those wishing to shift efforts into more promising temniques, or for use as an advanced course or seminar guide. Subject matter has been mosen particularly on the basis of pertinence to present researm activities in biological electron microscopy and emphasis has been given those areas whim seem destined to greatly expand in useful ness in the near future.

Applied Biophysics for Drug Discovery is a guide to new techniques and approaches to identifying and characterizing small molecules in early drug discovery. Biophysical methods are reasserting their utility in drug discovery and through a combination of the rise of fragment-based drug discovery and an increased focus on more nuanced characterisation of small molecule binding, these methods are playing an increasing role in discovery campaigns. This text emphasizes practical considerations for selecting and deploying core biophysical method, including but not limited to ITC, SPR, and both ligand-detected and protein-detected NMR. Topics covered include: • Design considerations in biophysical-based lead screening • Thermodynamic characterization of protein-compound interactions • Characterizing targets and screening reagents with HDX-MS • Microscale thermophoresis methods (MST) • Screening with Weak Affinity Chromatography • Methods to assess compound residence time • 1D-NMR methods for hit identification • Protein-based NMR methods for SAR development • Industry case studies integrating multiple biophysical methods This text is ideal for academic investigators and industry scientists planning hit characterization campaigns or designing and optimizing screening strategies.

This book presents state-of-the-art experimental and modelling techniques for skin biophysics that are currently used in academic and industrial research. It also identifies current and future challenges, as well as a growing number of opportunities in this exciting research field. The book covers the basics of skin physiology, biology, microstructural and material properties, and progressively introduces the reader to established experimental characterisation protocols and modelling approaches. Advanced topics in modelling theories and numerical implementation are also presented. The book focusses especially on: 1. Basic physiology, molecular biology, microstructural and material properties of the skin. 2. Experimental characterisation techniques for the skin (including imaging): in vivo and in vitro techniques and combination of those with in silico approaches. 3. State-of-the-art constitutive models of the skin: elastic, anelastic and mechanobiological formulations (e.g. growth, ageing, healing). 4. Applications: mechanics, damage, biological growth, healing, ageing and skin tribology. This book is addressed to postgraduate students in biomedical/mechanical/civil engineering, (bio)physics and applied mathematics, postdoctoral researchers, as well as scientists and engineers working in academia and industry engaged in skin research, particularly, if at the cross-roads of physical experiments, imaging and modelling. The book is also be of interest to clinicians/biologists who wish to learn about the possibilities offered by modern engineering techniques for skin science research and, by so doing, provide them with an incentive to broaden their outlook, engage more widely with the non-clinical research communities and, ultimately, help cross-fertilising new ideas that will lead to better treatment plans and engineering solutions.

This comprehensive book presents a modern concept in biophysics based on recently published research. It highlights various aspects of the biophysical fundamentals and techniques that are currently used to study different physical properties of biomolecules, and relates the biological phenomenon with the underlying physical concepts. The content is divided into nine chapters summarizing the structural details of proteins, including recently discovered novel folds, higher order structures of nucleic acids, as well as lipids and the physical forces governing the macromolecular interactions which are essential for the various biological processes. It also provides insights into the recent advances in biophysical techniques including Hydrogen Deuterium Exchange with Mass Spectrometry (HDX-MS), Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and Cryo Electron Microscopy (cryo EM), supplemented with interesting experimental data. It is a valuable reference resource for anyone with a desire to gain a better understanding of the fundamentals of biophysical concepts and techniques of important biomolecules.