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| Udgave: |
Efterår 2012 NAT |
| ECTS points: |
7,5 |
| Point: |
7,5 |
| Point: |
7,5 |
| Blokstruktur: |
2. blok |
| Skemagruppe: |
C |
| Kontaktpersoner: |
Lene Broeng Oddershede, tlf. 353-25287, oddershede@nbi.dk. |
| Skema- oplysninger: |
 Vis skema for kurset
Samlet oversigt over tid og sted for alle kurser inden for Lektionsplan for Det Naturvidenskabelige Fakultet Efterår 2012 NAT |
| Undervisnings- periode: |
19. november, 2012 til 27. januar, 2013 |
| Formål: |
Single molecule biophysics is one of the most rapidly expanding scientific disciplines due to recent developments of technically advanced equipment capable of monitoring the biological world on a single molecule level. The course will take the student to the front line of this research, going through typical single molecule techniques and some of the results achieved. Emphasis will be on the new results obtainable through single molecule investigations but also on the fundamental problems encountered when studying nano-scale non-equilibrium systems. |
| Indhold: |
The course focusses on the use of single molecule techniques to uncover the action and structure of single molecule systems. The course will cover the most commonly used techniques and show how to unravel fundamental aspects of essential single molecule systems. A major emphasis of the course will be on the fact that thermal fluctuations play a critical role and very recent theories (e.g. Jarzynski and Crooks) must be envoked for a correct description of such nano-scale out-of-equilibrium systems. As the course deals with very recent techniques and results, it is based on scientific papers.
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| Kompetence- beskrivelse: |
* The students will gain competences which will enable them to understand the working method, capabilities and limitations of the most commonly encountered single molecule techniques.
* Furthermore, the students will gain thorough knowledge about fundamental aspects of single molecule systems such as molecular motors and biopolymers, aspects which are not obtainable in ensemble studies.
* The student will be able to utilize very recent results in statistical physics showing how to deal with systems out of thermal equilibrium, an issue not dealt with in classical university courses or textbooks.
* A very important competance gained from this course is the ability to critically read a scientific paper, to find the background material needed to fully understand the paper, and to perform a satisfactory presentation to an audience.
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| Målbeskrivelse: |
The course will enable the students to:
1) gain knowledge about the most common single molecule techniques, these including optical tweezers, magnetic tweezers, single molecule flourescent techniques, AFM (only briefly because it is covered in other KU courses), and bioprobes. In addition, there will be a hands-on laboratory part of the course where the students will gain practical experience of working with optical tweezers, possibly aligning optical tweezers and analyzing results from such measurements.
2) understand the basics of molecular motors, this including the concept of energy conversion, typical speeds and stalling forces, modes of procession, and efficiency. More detailed knowledge will be obtained about well studied motors such as myosin, kinesin, polymerase and various motors utilized by virusses.
3) to obtain knowledge on single molecule studies of biopolymers. In particular we will focus on the physical properties of DNA, on un-folding RNA structures and seeing the relationship between structure and function of these.
Knowledge of how single molecule techniques have been used to unravel and understand the folding and un-folding mechanisms of proteins is another topic which has greatly benefitted from single molecule investigations, and which we will address.
Moreover, we will go through examples of using such single molecule systems as nano-machines or rulers.
4) be aware of the fundamental problems encountered when studying nature at the single molecule level. This includes the role of thermal fluctuations which to some extend mask nano-scale motion. Another major issue is that most of the processes observed are not correctly described by conventional thermodynamics which assume an ensemble in equilibrium. Hence, in the course we will go through recent theories describing how to obtain useful knowledge from systems which are not in thermal equilibrium. This part of the course supplements other university courses and coventional textbooks in statistical mechanics and is very important.
5) be able to perform a thorough and critical reading of a scientific manuscript.
A manuscript which is written on a very high level and requires that the student mobilizes a significant amount of background information.
5) perform an oral presentation of front-line scientific research to an audience, defend or critize the work in question, and also be able to provide reasonable answers from the audience regarding the presented material.
6) to have a general overview of the exciting field of single molecule biophysics, and be aware of some of the international headlines wihtin the field. |
| Lærebøger: |
Scientific papers, available from course homepage. |
| Tilmelding: |
Foregår på selvbetjeningen d. 15.maj - 1. juni. |
| Faglige forudsætninger: |
It is a master course, but can also be followed by dedicated bachelor students in their third year of study. The anticipated background of the students is a bachelor level in physics, biophysics, or nano-science. Students with a background in molecular biology are also very welcome, our discussions benefit from a diversity in angles of attack to the problems, but it is an advantage for such students to have had some basic physics courses or a sincere interest in quantitative descriptions.
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| Eksamensform: |
During the course it is mandatory for the students to present a number of scientific papers and to participate in organized 'question groups'.
Also, all students have to participate in a limited experimental programme. During the course there will be a mandatory project with a written individual report evaluated passed or not passed, internal censorship.
Reexam: Project worked out from the approved presentations during the course. |
| Eksamen: |
Løbende evaluering.
Reeksamen: Aflevering af opgave den 17. april 2013. |
| Kursus hjemmeside: |
 |
| Bemærkninger: |
Max 40 studerende |
| Sidst redigeret: |
26/4-2012 |