Statistical physics of biomacromolecules
Summary
Biological macromolecules such as DNA, RNA, proteins and cytoskeletal filaments are polymers. As such, they share a set of properties that are common to any polymer, which are the focus of this course. Details about the protein folding problem will be covered in the last part.
Content
1. Introduction to polymer theory: on and off-lattice polymers; statistical
properties; exact, numerical and approximate results; correlation length;
self-avoidance.
2. Interacting polymers: experiments and models; analytical and
numerical solutions of the models; phase diagram.
3. Proteins: their role in biology; basic components; experimental results;
models; analytical and numerical results. Key questions: evolution.
4. Folding proteins by co-evolution: how comparative genomics has inspired physics models that in turn have inspired AlphaFold.
5. Protein folding in the cell: the protein homeostasis network of the cell.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, the student must be able to:
- Model biological polymers.
- Prove exact results
- Reason by the numbers
Assessment methods
oral exam
In the programs
- Semester: Fall
- Exam form: Oral (winter session)
- Subject examined: Statistical physics of biomacromolecules
- Courses: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Type: optional
- Semester: Fall
- Exam form: Oral (winter session)
- Subject examined: Statistical physics of biomacromolecules
- Courses: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Type: optional
- Semester: Fall
- Exam form: Oral (winter session)
- Subject examined: Statistical physics of biomacromolecules
- Courses: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Type: optional
- Semester: Fall
- Exam form: Oral (winter session)
- Subject examined: Statistical physics of biomacromolecules
- Courses: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Type: optional
- Semester: Fall
- Exam form: Oral (winter session)
- Subject examined: Statistical physics of biomacromolecules
- Courses: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Type: optional
- Semester: Fall
- Exam form: Oral (winter session)
- Subject examined: Statistical physics of biomacromolecules
- Courses: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Type: optional
- Exam form: Oral (winter session)
- Subject examined: Statistical physics of biomacromolecules
- Courses: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Type: optional
- Exam form: Oral (winter session)
- Subject examined: Statistical physics of biomacromolecules
- Courses: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Type: optional
- Semester: Fall
- Exam form: Oral (winter session)
- Subject examined: Statistical physics of biomacromolecules
- Courses: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Type: optional