260073 VU Biological Physics (2021W)

Continuous assessment of course work

ON-SITE

Moodle

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Registration is open from We 01.09.2021 08:00 to Mo 27.09.2021 07:00
Deregistration possible until Fr 29.10.2021 23:59

Details

max. 15 participants

Language: English

Lecturers

Andreas Zöttl

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

Currently the lectures are held online. A zoom link is available on the moodle course page.

The lecture on 29.10 will not be held in person, but delivered online via moodle.

    
    Friday
    08.10.
    11:30 - 14:00
    Seminarraum 9, Kolingasse 14-16, OG01
    
    Friday
    15.10.
    11:30 - 14:00
    Seminarraum 9, Kolingasse 14-16, OG01
    
    Friday
    22.10.
    11:30 - 14:00
    Seminarraum 9, Kolingasse 14-16, OG01
    
    Friday
    29.10.
    11:30 - 14:00
    Seminarraum 9, Kolingasse 14-16, OG01
    
    Friday
    05.11.
    11:30 - 14:00
    Seminarraum 9, Kolingasse 14-16, OG01
    
    Friday
    12.11.
    11:30 - 14:00
    Seminarraum 9, Kolingasse 14-16, OG01
    
    Friday
    19.11.
    11:30 - 14:00
    Seminarraum 9, Kolingasse 14-16, OG01
    
    Friday
    26.11.
    11:30 - 14:00
    Seminarraum 9, Kolingasse 14-16, OG01
    
    Friday
    03.12.
    11:30 - 14:00
    Seminarraum 9, Kolingasse 14-16, OG01
    
    Friday
    10.12.
    11:30 - 14:00
    Seminarraum 9, Kolingasse 14-16, OG01
    
    Friday
    17.12.
    11:30 - 14:00
    Seminarraum 9, Kolingasse 14-16, OG01
    
    Friday
    07.01.
    11:30 - 14:00
    Seminarraum 9, Kolingasse 14-16, OG01
    
    Friday
    14.01.
    11:30 - 14:00
    Seminarraum 9, Kolingasse 14-16, OG01
    
    Friday
    21.01.
    11:30 - 14:00
    Seminarraum 9, Kolingasse 14-16, OG01

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

This course covers relevant topics in the field of Biological Physics. The main aim is to understand basic physical principles in biologically relevant phenomena at different levels (intracellular, cellular, multicellular).

We will use physical concepts such as Brownian motion, diffusion, thermodynamics, hydrodynamics, friction and elasticity to understand important intracellular processes and principles. Furthermore we will discuss basic physical principles of individual and collective cell motion, such as bacterial locomotion and cancer metastasis.

The course consists of lectures and exercises, with active participation of the students.

Assessment and permitted materials

There will be four exercise sheets, distributed during the semester, which the students should work on as a homework, each to be finished within 2 weeks. The students are allowed to use any available source to solve the exercises. Most of the exercises will be calculations on paper, but a few exercises may include simple computer programming. Furthermore, there will be two small written exams, one approximately at mid-term and one at the end of term, which cover specific parts of the lectures. Apart from pencil and paper, no other resource is allowed.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

As a minimum requirement, the students should make a sincere attempt to solve at least 50% of the homework exercises, and to earn 50% of the total points available in the exams.

Homework (4x): maximum total points: 4*5=20

Exams (2x): maximum total points: 2*10 = 20

To be graded positive, a minimum of 10 points from the homework and a minimum of 10 points from the exams are necessary.

Grades based on total points (homework+exams):

1 ("Sehr Gut"): 35-40 points
2 ("Gut"): 30-34 points
3 ("Befriedigend"): 25-29 points
4 ("Genügend"): 20-24 points
5 ("Nicht genügend"): 0-19 points

Examination topics

The exercise sheets cover specific problems which are related to the content of the lectures. The exams will cover parts of the content of the lecture course. They will focus on the fundamental understanding rather than on technical details.

Reading list

The main source for the course is the book by Philip Nelson:
Philip Nelson, Biological Physics: Energy, Information, Life. Student Edition. (2020) https://www.physics.upenn.edu/biophys/BPse/

Furthermore, additional material will be distributed during the course.

Other relevant literature:

Phillips et al, Physical Biology of the Cell, Taylor & Francis Ltd. (2012)

David Boal, Mechanics of the cell, Cambridge University Press (2012)

More biological details:

Alberts et al, Molecular Biology of the cell, Norton & Company (2014)

Association in the course directory

M-VAF A 2, M-VAF B

Last modified: Tu 04.01.2022 11:47