Biophysics

The course aims to provide a general introduction to physics in relation to the biological sciences and to contextualize the use of modern physics concepts, methods, and approaches to describe biological systems and their complexity from the molecular to the cellular level. It is therefore necessary to understand the central role that physics has played for a century now in order to learn the principles of the organization and dynamics of living and complex matter (from cells to populations of individuals). At the same time, it is important to understand that biological systems represent a new opportunity for physicists to learn more about the complexity of living matter and its capacity for self-organization, regulation, and control, with an eye toward new biomimetic applications.

• Apply knowledge acquired in physics (mechanics, thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, electromagnetism, etc.) to describe biological phenomena from the molecular to the cellular level in quantitative terms, understand what a biological cell is, its molecular components, and its main functions.
• Studying new concepts for fundamental physics: molecular switches and motors, thermodynamics of small systems, active systems, stochastic systems, regulation, information, evolution, etc.
• Learn that the great achievements of modern biology originated and developed through ideas and tools from physics.
• Learn the principles and experimental methods of physics used to measure the physicochemical properties of cells down to the scale of individual molecules.
• Learn about the major challenges that bring together the physical, chemical, and mathematical sciences with the biological, medical, and life sciences in general.
• Learning to link physical and chemical phenomena to biological observations in vitro and in vivo.
• Begin learning the interdisciplinary language between physics and biology, at the new frontiers of physical sciences and matter.
• Explore a topic of personal interest in the physics of biological matter.

CCI

CM: 9 a.m.

Tutorial: 9 a.m.