Indispensable textbook for undergraduate students in the physical and life sciences, unravelling the inner workings of the cell.

Current techniques for studying biological macromolecules and their interactions are based on the application of physical methods, ranging from classical thermodynamics to more recently developed techniques for the detection and manipulation of single molecules. Reflecting the advances made in biophysics research over the past decade, and now including a new section on medical imaging, this new edition describes the physical methods used in modern biology. All key techniques are covered, including mass spectrometry, hydrodynamics, microscopy and imaging, diffraction and spectroscopy, electron microscopy, molecular dynamics simulations and nuclear magnetic resonance. Each method is explained in detail using examples of real-world applications. Short asides are provided throughout to ensure that explanations are accessible to life scientists, physicists and those with medical backgrounds. The book remains an unparalleled and comprehensive resource for graduate students of biophysics and medical physics in science and medical schools, as well as for research scientists looking for an introduction to techniques from across this interdisciplinary field.

This handbook describes experimental techniques to monitor and manipulate individual biomolecules, including fluorescence detection, atomic force microscopy, and optical and magnetic trapping. It includes single-molecule studies of physical properties of biomolecules such as folding, polymer physics of protein and DNA, enzymology and biochemistry, single molecules in the membrane, and single-molecule techniques in living cells.

Depite the rapid expansion of the field of biophysics, there are very few books that comprehensively treat specific topics in this area. Recently, the field of single molecule biophysics has developed very quickly, and a few books specifically treating single molecule methods are beginning to appear. However, the promise of single molecule biophysics is to contribute to the understanding of specific fields of biology using new methods. This book would focus on the specific topic of the biophysics of DNA-protein interactions, and would include the use of new approaches, including both bulk methods as well as single molecule methods. This would make the book attractive to anyone working in the general area of DNA-protein interactions, which is of course a much wider market than just single molecule biophysicists or even biophysicists. The subject of the book will be the biophysics of DNA-protein interactions, and will include new methods and results that describe the physical mechanism by which proteins interact with DNA. For example, there has been much recent work on the mechanism by which proteins search for specific binding sites on DNA. A few chapters will be devoted to experiments and theory that shed light on this important problem. We will also cover proteins that alter DNA properties to facilitate interactions important for transcription or replication. Another section of the book will cover the biophysical mechanism by which motor proteins interact with DNA. Finally, we will cover larger protein-DNA complexes, such as replication forks, recombination complexes, DNA repair interactions, and their chromatin context.

Geared towards research scientists in structural and molecular biology, biochemistry, and biophysics, this manual will be useful to all who are interested in observing, manipulating and elucidating the molecular mechanisms and discrete properties of macromolecules.

Written by the leading experts in the field, this book describes the development and current state of the art in single molecule spectroscopy. The application of this technique, which started 1989, in physics, chemistry and biosciences is displayed.

Molecular and Cellular Biophysics provides advanced undergraduate and graduate students with a foundation in the basic concepts of biophysics. Students who have taken physical chemistry and calculus courses will find this book an accessible and valuable aid in learning how these concepts can be used in biological research. The text provides a rigorous treatment of the fundamental theories in biophysics and illustrates their application with examples. Conformational transitions of proteins are studied first using thermodynamics, and subsequently with kinetics. Allosteric theory is developed as the synthesis of conformational transitions and association reactions. Basic ideas of thermodynamics and kinetics are applied to topics such as protein folding, enzyme catalysis and ion channel permeation. These concepts are then used as the building blocks in a treatment of membrane excitability. Through these examples, students will gain an understanding of the general importance and broad applicability of biophysical principles to biological problems.