Physics

IRENE ROSANA GIARDINA
IRENE ROSANA GIARDINA

GENERAL OBJECTIVES:
The main objective of the course in Theoretical Biophysics is to show how statistical physics has a crucial role for a quantitative understanding of many biological
phenomena. To this aim, the course focuses on two very general aspects present in a variety of biological processes: the role of noise and the signal to noise ratio; the
emergence of collective phenomena.


SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:
A - Knowledge and understanding
OF 1) To acquire some fundamental background in statistical physics, related in particular to elementary stochastic processes, critical phenomena and statistical inference
OF 2) To learn the phenomenology of several important biological processes such as chemotaxis and chemoreception, photoreception, proteins, neural networks, living active matter and collective motion.
OF 3) to acquire modeling techniques

B - Application skills
OF 4) To be able to apply theoretical concepts and models to the quantitative description of the phenomenology experimentally characterized. To build models starting from the data.

C - Autonomy of judgment
OF 5) To be able to modify approaches derived from statistical physics to study specific phenomena occurring in biological systems.

D - Communication skills

E - Ability to learn
OF 6) Have the ability to consult and study scientific texts and literature of both theoretical and experimental character in a highly interdisciplinary context.

After completing the course, the student:

- will learn fundamental theoretical concepts on stochastic processes and the physics of interacting systems;
- will be able to apply such concepts to the study of biological systems;
- will acquire phenomenological and quantitative knowledge of several biological processes and systems, such as: chemotaxis, photoreception, neural networks, proteins, living active matter, collective behavior in biological aggregations.

Fundamental concepts in Statistical Physics, consistent with the background acquired during the bachelor program.

Bialek W., Biophysics, searching for principles, Princeton University Press
Nelson PC, Biological Physics, (Freeman & Co., 2004)
Zwanzig, Non-equilibrium statistical mechanics (Oxford University Press, 2001)
H. Berg, Random walks in biology (Princeton UP, 1993)
Huang, Statistical Mechanics, Wiley,
Binney et al, Critical Phenomena, Oxford Science Publications

Classroom lessons (attendance recommended)

The student will be asked to report on the topics discussed in the course, and must show to master the theoretical and quantitative description of the problems addressed during the lectures.