Fundamentals Of Biophysics

Biophysics is a science that comprises theoretical plotting and models based on contemporary physicochemical conceptions. They mirror physical specificity of the molecular organization and elementary processes in living organisms, which in their turn form the molecular basis of biological phenomena. Presentation of a complete course in biophysics requires vast biological material as well as additional involvement of state-of-the-art concepts in physics, chemistry and mathematics. This is essential for the students to "perceive" the specific nature and peculiarity of molecular biological processes and see how this specificity is displayed in biological systems. This is the essence of the up-to-date biophysical approach to the analysis of biological processes. Fundamentals of Biophysics offers a complete, thorough coverage of the material in a straightforward and no-nonsense format, offering a new and unique approach to the material that presents the appropriate topics without extraneous and unneeded filler material.

Fundamentals and Techniques of Biophysics and Molecular Biology textbook has the primary goal to teach students about theoretical principles and applications of the key biophysical and molecular methods used in biochemistry and molecular biology. A substantial theoretical basis has been covered to understand key experimental techniques such as Chromatography, Electrophoresis, Spectroscopy, Mass spectrometry, Centrifugation, Microscopy, Flow cytometry, Chromatin immunoprecipitation, Immunotechniques, FRET and FRAP, Polymerase chain reaction, Phage display, Yeast two-hybrid assay, DNA sequencing, Biosensors, CRISPR/Cas systems so that students can make appropriate choices and efficient use of techniques. The most significant feature of this book is its clear, up-to-date and accurate explanations of mechanisms, rather than the mere description of facts and events. This book is published by Pathfinder Publication, New Delhi, India.

In the first volume, Fundamental Concepts in Biophysics, the authors lay down a foundation for biophysics study. Rajiv Singh opens the book by pointing to the central importance of “Mathematical Methods in Biophysics”. William Fink follows with a discussion on “Quantum Mechanics Basic to Biophysical Methods”. Together, these two chapters establish some of the principles of mathematical physics underlying many biophysics techniques. Because computer modeling forms an intricate part of biophysics research, Subhadip Raychaudhuri and colleagues introduce the use of computer modeling in “Computational Modeling of Receptor–Ligand Binding and Cellular Signaling Processes”. Yin Yeh and coworkers bring to the reader’s attention the physical basis underlying the common use of fluorescence spectroscopy in biomedical research in their chapter “Fluorescence Spectroscopy”. Electrophysiologists have also applied biophysics techniques in the study of membrane proteins, and Tsung-Yu Chen et al. explore stochastic processes of ion transport in their “Electrophysiological Measurements of Membrane Proteins”. Michael Saxton takes up a key biophysics question about particle distribution and behavior in systems with spatial or temporal inhomogeneity in his chapter “Single–Particle Tracking”. Finally, in “NMR Measurement of Biomolecule Diffusion”, Thomas Jue explains how magnetic resonance techniques can map biomolecule diffusion in the cell to a theory of respiratory control. This book thus launches the Handbook of Modern Biophysics series and sets up for the reader some of the fundamental concepts underpinning the biophysics issues to be presented in future volumes.

This book presents the fundamentals of molecular biophysics, and highlights the connection between molecules and biological phenomena, making it an important text across a variety of science disciplines. The topics covered in the book include: Phase transitions that occur in biosystems (protein crystallisation, globule-coil transition etc) Liquid crystallinity as an example of the delicate range of partially ordered phases found with biological molecules How molecules move and propel themselves at the cellular level The general features of self-assembly with examples from proteins The phase behaviour of DNA The physical toolbox presented within this text will form a basis for students to enter into a wide range of pure and applied bioengineering fields in medical, food and pharmaceutical areas.

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

This book serves as an introduction to protein structure and function. Starting with their makeup from simple building blocks, called amino acids, the 3-dimensional structure of proteins is explained. This leads to a discussion how misfolding of proteins causes diseases like cancer, various encephalopathies, or diabetes. Enzymology and modern concepts of enzyme kinetics are then introduced, taking into account the physiological, pharmacological and medical significance of this often neglected topic. This is followed by thorough coverage of hæmoglobin and myoglobin, immunoproteins, motor proteins and movement, cell-cell interactions, molecular chaperones and chaperonins, transport of proteins to various cell compartments and solute transport across biological membranes. Proteins in the laboratory are also covered, including a detailed description of the purification and determination of proteins, as well as their characterisation for size and shape, structure and molecular interactions. The book emphasises the link between protein structure, physiological function and medical significance. This book can be used for graduate and advanced undergraduate classes covering protein structure and function and as an introductory text for researchers in protein biochemistry, molecular and cell biology, chemistry, biophysics, biomedicine and related courses. About the author: Dr. Buxbaum is a biochemist with interest in enzymology and protein science. He has been working on the biochemistry of membrane transport proteins for nearly thirty years and has taught courses in biochemistry and biomedicine at several universities.

Nanobiophysics is a new branch of science that operates at the interface of physics, biology, chemistry, material science, nanotechnology, and medicine. This book is the first one devoted to nanobiophysics and introduces this field with a focus on some selected topics related to the physics of biomolecular nanosystems, including nucleosomal DNA and model lipid membranes, nanobiohybrids involving DNA/RNA and single-walled carbon nanotubes, biomolecules deposited on nanoparticles, and nanostructured surfaces. It describes unique experimental physical methods that are used to study nanosized biostructures. It outlines the applied aspects of nanobiophysics, considering the state of art in the fabrication of two types of sensors: gas sensors, with a focus on breath gas detection, and nanophotonic sensors, with a focus on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon detection in water samples. It also covers the development of nanoscale scaffolds for delivery of therapeutic nucleic acids to cells, which is an important example of the possible application of nanobiophysics researches in nanomedicine.

Molecular Biophysics presents the fundamental principles of biophysics and their application to the study of the physical properties of biological macromolecules. The merger of biology and physics involves the development of sophisticated instrumentation and the molecular approach to the study of life phenomena. This book is composed of nine chapters and begins with an overview of the thermodynamical aspects and chemical foundations of biophysics. These topics are followed by the physical aspects of macromolecules, with a particular emphasis on the biological functions, conformation, and hydrophobic interactions of proteins. The subsequent chapter describes the structural and electro-optical properties of biopolymers based on X-ray, optical, and spectroscopic analysis. The discussion then shifts to enzymes, their chemical kinetics, catalytic potential, and conformational and cooperative properties. The remaining chapters explore the physical aspects of nucleic acids and the biosynthesis of proteins. This book will prove useful to molecular biophysicists, biologists, physicists, and researchers in the fields of life sciences.