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2016　Introduction to Biophysics

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Academic unit or major
Physics
Instructor(s)
Matsushita Michio  Hayashi Nobuhiro 
Class Format
Lecture     
Media-enhanced courses
Day/Period(Room No.)
Tue1-2(H102)  Fri1-2(H102)  
Group
-
Course number
ZUB.C331
Credits
2
Academic year
2016
Offered quarter
1Q
Syllabus updated
2017/1/11
Lecture notes updated
-
Language used
Japanese
Access Index

Course description and aims

(Hayashi)
Although the life is so complicated as to seem to be mysterious, the microscopic and molecular elementary processes consist of simple physical events. However, when those simple events run together and fuse into each other, not only the complexity will be raised, but also qualitatively different ‘physical phenomena’ will be generated. That is the essence of the life. Biophysics deals with the ultimate physical phenomena created by the nature in the eternal flow of time. In this course, novel pictures of life drawn by biophysics will be shown, and approaches to reveal the essence of the life by the biophysics will be summarized.

(Matsushita)
Any living creature cannot continue to live without acquiring information from the outer world and properly responding to it. In multi-cellar livings, the sensory system consists of a receptor cell and neurons. The former cell receive a signal and generate a voltage pulse and the latter cells transfer the pulse in one direction to the destination. As an example of sensory system, vision will be outlined.

Student learning outcomes

Biophysics is an area of natural science to tackle the eternal problem of life and death by means of physics. In the twentieth century, owing to the rapid advance of modern physics and technology, observation of life activities has become molecular level. As a result the knowledge of life has been expanded the knowledge of life enormously. Will the humankind become able to completely understand life and conquer death? To start with a long journey to answer this question, the very basic knowledge will be provided in this course.

Keywords

Life Science, Biophysics, Molecular Biology

Competencies that will be developed

✔ Specialist skills Intercultural skills Communication skills Critical thinking skills Practical and/or problem-solving skills

Class flow

The course will be given by two lectures active in different research fields, one in physics, the other in life science.

Course schedule/Required learning

  Course schedule Required learning
Class 1 Introduction: Summary of biomolecules Introduction
Class 2 Principles of functional architecture of proteins Functional architecture of proteins
Class 3 Principles of functional architecture of nucleic acids Functional architecture of nucleic acids
Class 4 Phasing approaches to observe biomolecules: Circular dichroism (CD), Surface plasmon resonance (SPR), Mass spectrometry, Solution small angel X-ray/neutron scattering, Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) Circular dichroism (CD), Surface plasmon resonance (SPR), Mass spectrometry, Solution small angel X-ray/neutron scattering, Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)
Class 5 Surface plasmon resonance (SPR), Mass spectrometry, Solution small angel X-ray/neutron scattering, Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) Circular dichroism (CD), Surface plasmon resonance (SPR), Mass spectrometry, Solution small angel X-ray/neutron scattering, Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)
Class 6 Understanding of the life using biophysics 1(case studies): Molecular mechanism of signaling on bio-membrane micro-domain. Molecular mechanism of signaling on bio-membrane micro-domain.
Class 7 Understanding of the life using biophysics 2(case studies): Molecular mechanism of signaling on bio-membrane micro-domain. Molecular mechanism of signaling on bio-membrane micro-domain.
Class 8 Neuron and active potential How does neurons work?
Class 9 Propagation of active potential and ion channel Active potential of neurons controlled by ion channel.
Class 10 Inter-cellar signal transduction I What happens in synapse?
Class 11 Inter-cellar signal transduction II What happens in synapse?
Class 12 Mechanism of sensory systems How do Receptor protein and G-protein work in sensing.
Class 13 Vision Sensitivity and signal amplification
Class 14 Photosynthesis I Energy transfer
Class 15 Photosynthesis II Electron transfer

Textbook(s)

None specified.

Reference books, course materials, etc.

None specified.

Assessment criteria and methods

Attendance and Reports

Related courses

  • PHY.C343 ： Chemical Physics

Prerequisites (i.e., required knowledge, skills, courses, etc.)

No prerequisites.

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