This book covers a wide scope of biological approaches to such biological phenomena as cell division, motility, collective cell behavior, multicellular structures, morphogenesis, and tumor development. Over the past two decades, biologists have generated large sets of experimental data and discovered a lot of facts that need explanation. This biological boom attracts physicists who believe they can help to develop a theoretical framework in biology and explain complete biological phenomena using basic principles. This is the first book to present recent advances in biophysical studies of the different aspects of cell life. This book presents recent advances in biophysical studies of living cells and gives the impression that a combination of quantitative live cell observations, detailed biochemical and biophysical data, and mathematical modeling are capable to answer many important biological questions and to achieve a more complete understanding of such complex phenomena.

Biophysics studies the methods and approaches of physics in relation to biological systems. Scientists and researchers related to the field of biophysics study the connections between DNA, RNA and protein biosynthesis. Some of the fields that converge with the field of biophysics are biology, biochemistry, computer science, computational chemistry, mathematics, etc. This book is a compilation of chapters that discuss the most vital concepts and emerging trends in the field of biophysics. This book, with its detailed analyses and data, will prove immensely beneficial to professionals and students involved in this area at various levels.

This book surveys the last sixty years of research in the rapidly advancing field of DNA biophysics, addressing key questions and facilitating further research.

"In July 2009, many experts in the mathematical modeling of biological sciences gathered in Les Houches for a 4-week summer school on the mechanics and physics of biological systems. The goal of the school was to present to students and researchers an integrated view of new trends and challenges in physical and mathematical aspects of biomechanics. While the scope for such a topic is very wide, they focused on problems where solid and fluid mechanics play a central role. The school covered both the general mathematical theory of mechanical biology in the context of continuum mechanics but also the specific modeling of particular systems in the biology of the cell, plants, microbes, and in physiology. These lecture notes are organized (as was the school) around five different main topics all connected by the common theme of continuum modeling for biological systems: Bio-fluidics, Bio-gels, Bio-mechanics, Bio-membranes, and Morphogenesis. These notes are not meant as a journal review of the topic but rather as a gentle tutorial introduction to the readers who want to understand the basic problematic in modeling biological systems from a mechanics perspective"--

The first systematic summary of biophysical mass spectrometrytechniques Recent advances in mass spectrometry (MS) have pushed the frontiersof analytical chemistry into the biophysical laboratory. As aresult, the biophysical community's acceptance of MS-based methods,used to study protein higher-order structure and dynamics, hasaccelerated the expansion of biophysical MS. Despite this growing trend, until now no single text has presentedthe full array of MS-based experimental techniques and strategiesfor biophysics. Mass Spectrometry in Biophysics expertly closesthis gap in the literature. Covering the theoretical background and technical aspects of eachmethod, this much-needed reference offers an unparalleled overviewof the current state of biophysical MS. Mass Spectrometry inBiophysics begins with a helpful discussion of general biophysicalconcepts and MS-related techniques. Subsequent chaptersaddress: * Modern spectrometric hardware * High-order structure and dynamics as probed by various MS-basedmethods * Techniques used to study structure and behavior of non-nativeprotein states that become populated under denaturingconditions * Kinetic aspects of protein folding and enzyme catalysis * MS-based methods used to extract quantitative information onprotein-ligand interactions * Relation of MS-based techniques to other experimental tools * Biomolecular properties in the gas phase Fully referenced and containing a helpful appendix on the physicsof electrospray mass spectrometry, Mass Spectrometry in Biophysicsalso offers a compelling look at the current challenges facingbiomolecular MS and the potential applications that will likelyshape its future.

This comprehensive and extensively classroom-tested biophysics textbook is a complete introduction to the physical principles underlying biological processes and their applications to the life sciences and medicine. The foundations of natural processes are placed on a firm footing before showing how their consequences can be explored in a wide range of biosystems. The goal is to develop the readers’ intuition, understanding, and facility for creative analysis that are frequently required to grapple with problems involving complex living organisms. Topics cover all scales, encompassing the application of statics, fluid dynamics, acoustics, electromagnetism, light, radiation physics, thermodynamics, statistical physics, quantum biophysics, and theories of information, ordering, and evolutionary optimization to biological processes and bio-relevant technological implementations. Sound modeling principles are emphasized throughout, placing all the concepts within a rigorous framework. With numerous worked examples and exercises to test and enhance the reader’s understanding, this book can be used as a textbook for physics graduate students and as a supplementary text for a range of premedical, biomedical, and biophysics courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels. It will also be a useful reference for biologists, physicists, medical researchers, and medical device engineers who want to work from first principles.