PHYS 407: Experimental Biological Physics

Course Description

For advanced undergraduate and graduate students in Physics interested in the connection between biology and physics (no prior biology experience needed). This course explores Nobel Prize-winning experiments in biological physics and quantitative biology. Students will learn important techniques, including: optical imaging beyond the diffraction limit; optical trapping of microorganisms and subcellular structures; optical detection using nitrogen vacancy centers; molecular biology and statistical analyses for testing evolutionary models; and computational prediction of protein folding. 4 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. The course requires intermediate background in statistics and basic coding skills in Python or Matlab. Prerequisite: PHYS 213, PHYS 214, and PHYS 325 or equivalent; CS 101 or CS124 or equivalent. This course is meant for undergraduate students of junior or senior standing, or graduate students in physics.