Teaching
Biophysics at the University of Heidelberg
- Biophysics or Biochemistry/Biophysics is a field of study of the Biology diploma and Molecular Biotechnology Bachelor/Master at the faculty of Biowissenschaften
- A "Vertiefungsfach" Biophysics exists as part of the Physics Diploma
- Teaching activities at the Bioquant are summarized here.
- Starting WS 08/09 there will be a two years master's programme of Molecular Biosciences that offers a new Major on Systems Biology, which will include various courses in the area of Biophysics/Quantitative Biology
- The Excellence Cluster Cellular Networks is a program with numerous activities in the area of quantitative analysis of subcellular and supracellular networks.
Lectures
Lecture: Interactions of Proteins and Nucleic Acids - Biophysical Concepts and Techniques
Winter term 2013/2014 (Note: This lecture will not be offered during the winter term 2012/2013)
The lecture will covers various biophysical topics that are relevant for a quantitative description of interactions of proteins and nucleic acids. In includes a short introduction to proteins and nuclein acids and then covers the following aspects: Physicochemical interactions of biological macromolecules, hydrophobic interactions, solution thermodynamics, hydration, charges, polymer models helix-coil transitions, binding equilibria, binding kinetics, hydrodynamics, transport, diffusion and sedimentation. The lecture introduces methods and applications from the field of biophysics/quantitative biology to characterize interactions of proteins and nucleic acids. The focus is on various spectroscopy and microscopy based techniques and methods. There will be homework problems to be solved and turned in every week.
Audience: Students of Physics/Biology/Chemistry
Literature: K. E. van Holde, W. C. Johnson, & S. P. Ho, Principles of Physical Biochemistry 2nd edition, Prentice-Hall, 2006; C. Cantor & P. Schimmel, Biophysical Chemistry, Vol I, II und III, Freeman Press, 1980; M. Daune, Molecular Biophysics, Oxford University Press, 1999; P. Nelson, Biological Physics, Freeman, 2004
Lecture: Interactions of Proteins and Nucleic Acids - Biophysical Concepts and Theoretical Descriptions
Winter term 2010/2011
The lecture will covers various biophysical topics that are relevant for a quantitative description of interactions of proteins and nucleic acids. In includes a short introduction to proteins and nuclein acids and then covers the following aspects: Physicochemical interactions of biological macromolecules, hydrophobic interactions, solution thermodynamics, hydration, charges, polymer models helix-coil transitions, binding equilibria, binding kinetics, hydrodynamics, transport, diffusion and sedimentation.
Audience: Students of Physics/Biology/Chemistry
Literature: K. E. van Holde, W. C. Johnson, & S. P. Ho, Principles of Physical Biochemistry 2nd edition, Prentice-Hall, 2006; C. Cantor & P. Schimmel, Biophysical Chemistry, Vol I, II und III, Freeman Press, 1980; M. Daune, Molecular Biophysics, Oxford University Press, 1999; P. Nelson, Biological Physics, Freeman, 2004
Lecture: Interactions of Proteins and Nucleic Acids - Techniques and Applications
Winter term 2009/2010, Bioquant INF 267, seminar room 655 (6th floor), Wednesday 10:15 -11:45, October 14, 2009 to February 3, 2010
The lecture introduces methods and applications from the field of biophysics/quantitative biology to characterize interactions of proteins and nucleic acids. After a survey of molecular biology techniques the theory and experimental realisation of gel electrophoresis is presented. Then absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopy, various types of microscopy techniques and methods for the analysis and manipulation of single macromolecular complexes are introduced. The course will end with high-throughput methods for the genome wide analysis of interactions of proteins and nucleic acids. There will be homework problems to be solved and turned in every week.
Audience: Students of Physics/Biology/Chemistry
Literature: K. E. van Holde, W. C. Johnson, & S. P. Ho, Principles of Physical Biochemistry 2nd edition, Prentice-Hall, 2006; C. Cantor & P. Schimmel, Biophysical Chemistry, Vol I, II und III, Freeman Press, 1980; V. A. Bloomfield, D. M. Crothers & I. Tinocco, Nucleic Acids Structures, Properties, and Functions, University Science Books, 2000; I. N. Serdyuk, N. R. Zaccai & J. Zaccai Methods in Molecular Biophysics: Structure, Dynamics, Function, Cambridge, University Press, 2007.
Physico-Chemical Methods in Systems Biology - Submodule for Major Systems Biology (3 Lectures & Excercises by Karsten Rippe)
Sumer term 2011 BioQuant SR 043
Physico-chemical methods play a key role for investigating molecular and cellular processes. Therefore, these lectures shall provide fundamental knowledge of important physical and chemical phenomenons necessary for understanding of current methods used in systemsbiology. Topics range from classical forces, elasticity, cellular mechanics, polymer statistics, thermodynamics and reaction kinetics to geometric optics and interaction of light with matter. The lecture is complemented by a tutorial giving overview about current methods and their applications ranging from basic spectroscopy, neutron and x-ray scattering to atomic force and optical microscopy as well as high-throughput methods, like RNAi screening and automated microscopy.
Seminars: Protein-DNA interactions
2011, Application seminar for major systems biology lectures from June 21, 22 and 25 (Thermodynamics of protein folding and protein-DNA binding), and July 1 (atomic force microscopy). This focuses on topics 01-06
Wednesday, 4 August 2010, 10:00 to 16:00 in seminar room 655. This is a block seminar that includes additional stopics 08-12 for molecular biotechnology master students and everybody else who is interested. It is not part of the major systems biology curriculum.
Summary of topics on biophysics of Protein-DNA/RNA interactions
Lab courses and practicals
HBIGS lab course on analytical ultracentrifugation
Advanced lab course in scanning/atomic force microscopy
Introduction to atomic force microscopy I
Introduction to atomic force microscopy II
Students from other faculties that want to do the course can arrange this on an individual basis (contact).
Advanced laboratory practicals (6-18 weeks)
Students from the faculties of Biowissenschaften, Physik, Chemie and Medizin can participate. The course involves lab work on a topic within ongoing research projects, and is arranged on an individual basis (contact).
Useful links to educational material/information in Biophysics
Educational materials from the Biophyiscal Society
Fourier transform in crystalography
Scanning/atomic force microscopy
