Program in Biophysics
Director
William Bialek
Executive Committee
Robert H. Austin, Physics
William Bialek, Physics, Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics
David W. Tank, Molecular Biology, Princeton Neuroscience Institute
Ned S. Wingreen, Molecular Biology
The Program in Biophysics is designed for students with strong interests in molecular biology and physics who wish to combine these two subjects in their junior and senior independent work. The program encourages the serious study of cellular, molecular, and developmental biology as it interfaces with the physical sciences. Current examples at Princeton include the physical properties of DNA molecules in solution; the study of molecular motors and processive enzymes; theory and experiment using coupled biochemical reactions in cellular systems; a wide range of problems in cellular and systems neuroscience; and morphogen gradients in developing organisms.
The program offers a combination of courses and interdisciplinary research that meet the requirements of the physics or molecular biology departments. Physics majors in the program will meet the entry requirements of graduate schools in both physics and molecular biology. Molecular biology students interested in graduate school in physics can meet entry requirements by including quantum mechanics in their studies. Courses are chosen with the help of advisers in the Departments of Physics and Molecular Biology. A certificate in biophysics is awarded to students who successfully complete the program.
Requirements for Admission
Students are admitted to the program once they have chosen their field of concentration and consulted with the program director, who will assign them an adviser. Normally, they will have completed the freshman and sophomore prerequisites listed under the Program of Study.
Program of Study
Biophysics students develop a program in consultation with their adviser that consists of a core curriculum plus the necessary prerequisites, junior and senior independent work in biophysics, and electives. Because a sound training in mathematics is prerequisite for successful performance in upperclass physics courses, at least one 300-level course in differential equations should be taken as early as possible.
Typical curricula that qualify students for graduation in their home departments are outlined below:
Concentration in Molecular Biology
Prerequisites (freshman and sophomore years):
Mathematics 201, 202 (or 203, 204)
One 300-level mathematics course (MAE 305, or equivalent)
Physics 103, 104 (or 105, 106)
Physics 203
Chemistry 201, 202 (or 203, 204)
Chemistry 301, 302 (or 303, 304)
Molecular Biology 214 or 215
Prerequisites (junior and senior years):
Physics 301, 304
Molecular Biology 342, 345, 350
One 400-level course
Junior and senior independent work
Concentration in Physics
Prerequisites (freshman and sophomore years):
Mathematics 201, 202 (or 203, 204)
Two mathematics courses chosen from Mathematics 317, 331, or Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering 305, 306
Physics 103, 104 (or 105, 106)
Physics 203, 208
Chemistry 201, 202 (or 203, 204)
Molecular Biology 214 (or 345)
Prerequisites (junior and senior years):
Physics 301, 304, 305
One course chosen from Molecular Biology 342, 345, 348
Molecular Biology 350 and Physics 312 by arrangement with the physics departmental representative
Junior and senior independent work
Recognizing that biophysics is an interdisciplinary program whose excitement lies in new and changing areas at the interface of biology and physics, alternative programs of study may be arranged at the discretion of the interdepartmental committee. Junior independent work in the physics department can be two different topics in biophysics, or one in physics, the other in biophysics. Independent work in the junior and senior year is supervised by faculty in one of the two home departments. Independent research topics are approved in advance by the program committee, in consultation with faculty advisers.
To qualify for the biophysics program certificate, a minimum B average must be attained in the program courses, and a B average in the independent work. Program courses may not be taken pass/D/fail.
Program-Related Courses
There are a variety of electives available to suitably prepared program members:
Applied and Computational Mathematics
514 Biological Dynamics (also EEB 514/MOL 514)
Biological
APC 514/MOL 514
EEB 514 Biological Dynamics
Chemistry
542 Principles of Macromolecular Structure
543 Advanced Topics in Structural Biology
306 Physical Chemistry: Chemical Thermodynamics and Kinetics
Certain 500-level courses, with the instructor’s permission
Engineering
ELE 352 Physical Optics
Molecular Biology
400-level and certain 500-level courses, with the instructor’s permission
Physics
400-level and certain 500-level courses, with the instructor’s permission