Statistical Physics in Biology

Calendar

SES #	TOPICS	KEY DATES
1	Introduction; Master equation
2	Elements of population genetics
3	Evolving populations (forward Kolmogorov)
4	Population genetics (fitness, selection, …)
5	Fixation (backward Kolmogorov)
6	Introduction to sequence alignment	Assignment 1 due
7	Algorithms for sequence alignment
8	Significance of alignments (extreme value distributions)
9	Ionic interactions	Assignment 2 due
10	Polymer theory 1, entropy elasticity, collapse
11	Polymer theory 2, collapse, Random energy model
12	Protein folding I: elements of structure and forces	Assignment 3 due
13	Protein folding II: evolved (designed) foldable proteins
14	Protein folding III: kinetics	Assignment 4 due
15	Protein folding IV:: kinetics
16	DNA (melting)
17	RNA (secondary structure)	Assignment 5 due
18	Protein-DNA interactions I: specific and non-specific binding
19	Protein-DNA interactions II: sequence-dependence & kinetics	Assignment 6 due
20	Microtubules
21	Molecular motors & cell motility	Assignment 7 due
22	Introduction to networks
23	Dynamics on networks 1
24	Dynamics on networks 2	Assignment 8 due
25	Packing of DNA inside cells
26	Cooperativity: hemoglobin and transcription factors	Final Project due