Handbook Of Molecular Biophysics

This handbook and reference condenses the biophysics and biomedical contents of the renowned Encyclopedia of Applied Physics in one handy volume. Twenty-eight carefully written overview articles cover the latest research, including single molecule spectroscopy, biosensors and cellular biomechanics. Readers benefit from concise summaries of the fundamentals, methods and applications, backed by detailed tables of contents for quick access, and glossaries of terms, as well as detailed lists of references and further reading. For libraries and R&D teams in academia and industry.

This handbook describes experimental techniques to monitor and manipulate individual biomolecules, including fluorescence detection, atomic force microscopy, and optical and magnetic trapping. It includes single-molecule studies of physical properties of biomolecules such as folding, polymer physics of protein and DNA, enzymology and biochemistry, single molecules in the membrane, and single-molecule techniques in living cells.

Methodologies and databases for biochemistry and molecular biology are included in this easy-to-use laboratory reference. Its logical presentation enables the reader to quickly and conveniently locate the information relevant to his or her needs. Featured are tables containing data on amino acids, proteins, nucleosides, nucleotides, and nucleic acids. Also featured are lipids and physical chemical data. Edited by a leading professional in the field, this compact, yet comprehensive bench manual serves as the definitive reference source for your laboratory.

Researchers in academia and industry who are interested in techniques for measuring intermolecular forces will find this an essential text. It presents a review of modern force spectroscopy, including fundamentals of intermolecular forces, technical aspects of the force measurements, and practical applications. The handbook begins with a review of the fundamental physics of loading single and multiple chemical bonds on the nanometer scale. It contains a discussion of thermodynamic and kinetic models of binding forces and dissipation effects in nanoscale molecular contacts, covers practical aspects of modern single-molecule level techniques, and concludes with applications of force spectroscopy to chemical and biological processes. Computer modeling of force spectroscopy experiments is also addressed.

Molecular biophysics is a rapidly growing field of research that plays an important role in elucidating the mysteries of life's molecules and their assemblies, as well as the relationship between their structure and function. Introduction to Molecular Biophysics fills an existing gap in the literature on this subject by providing the reader with th

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.

In considering ways that physics has helped advance biology and medicine, what typically comes to mind are the various tools used by researchers and clinicians. We think of the optics put to work in microscopes, endoscopes, and lasers; the advanced diagnostics permitted through magnetic, x-ray, and ultrasound imaging; and even the nanotools, that allow us to tinker with molecules. We build these instruments in accordance with the closest thing to absolute truths we know, the laws of physics, but seldom do we apply those same constants of physics to the study of our own carbon-based beings, such as fluidics applied to the flow of blood, or the laws of motion and energy applied to working muscle. Instead of considering one aspect or the other, Handbook of Physics in Medicine and Biology explores the full gamut of physics’ relationship to biology and medicine in more than 40 chapters, written by experts from the lab to the clinic. The book begins with a basic description of specific biological features and delves into the physics of explicit anatomical structures starting with the cell. Later chapters look at the body's senses, organs, and systems, continuing to explain biological functions in the language of physics. The text then details various analytical modalities such as imaging and diagnostic methods. A final section turns to future perspectives related to tissue engineering, including the biophysics of prostheses and regenerative medicine. The editor’s approach throughout is to address the major healthcare challenges, including tissue engineering and reproductive medicine, as well as development of artificial organs and prosthetic devices. The contents are organized by organ type and biological function, which is given a clear description in terms of electric, mechanical, thermodynamic, and hydrodynamic properties. In addition to the physical descriptions, each chapter discusses principles of related clinical diagnostic methods and technological aspects of therapeutic applications. The final section on regenerative engineering, emphasizes biochemical and physiochemical factors that are important to improving or replacing biological functions. Chapters cover materials used for a broad range of applications associated with the replacement or repair of tissues or entire tissue structures.