Biophysics
Undergraduate · Physics
Syllabus focus
Topics typically covered
Standard syllabus
Molecular biophysics
- Diffusion, Brownian motion, and Fick's laws
- Entropic forces in polymers and DNA
- Protein folding energy landscapes (intro)
- Membrane electrostatics and Nernst potential
- Molecular motors and ratchet models
Cellular and tissue scale
- Mechanics of cytoskeleton and cells
- Action potentials and cable theory
- Biomechanics of locomotion
- Hemodynamics and Reynolds number in vessels
- Radiation biology and DNA damage
Imaging and spectroscopy
- Fluorescence microscopy and FRET
- MRI contrast mechanisms
- X-ray crystallography for macromolecules
- Circular dichroism and Raman in biology
- Single-molecule techniques overview
STEM / applied
Medical device physics
- Ultrasound transducers and imaging modes
- Radiotherapy dose planning basics
- Pacemaker and defibrillator electronics
- Wearable biosensors and noise
- FDA regulatory context for medical physics
Quantitative biology labs
- Micropipette aspiration experiments
- Optical trap calibration
- Patch-clamp signal analysis
- Image segmentation for cell tracking
- Python pipelines for microscopy stacks
Interdisciplinary research skills
- Reading cross-disciplinary journals
- Collaborating with biology and chemistry labs
- Ethics in animal and human subject research
- Grant writing for biophysics fellowships
- Communicating physics to clinical audiences
Study units
Each unit includes a study guide, worksheets, review, practice test, and answer key. One unit is free; subscribe for the full class.
- Molecular biophysics
Diffusion, Brownian motion, and Fick's laws
Coming soon - Cellular and tissue scale
Mechanics of cytoskeleton and cells
Coming soon - Imaging and spectroscopy
Fluorescence microscopy and FRET
Coming soon
Notes
Topics reflect common upper-division physics syllabi at US colleges and universities. Prerequisites, lab pairing, and mathematical depth vary by department.