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 2019/2020, Tuesday from 14:15-15:45, starting October 15, 2019, BioQuant, INF 267, Seminar Room 041, No registration necessary.
The lecture will cover 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: Master 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
Physico-Chemical Methods in Systems Biology - Submodule for Major Systems Biology (4 Lectures & Seminar by Karsten Rippe)
The lecture with tutorials is part of the Major Systems Biology in the Molecular Biosciences program of the Faculty of Biosciences.
Summer term 2017 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.
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