BIPH 3010

Advanced Biological Physics

Fall Semester 2016

 Class

Lecture Mon & Wed 10:30 – 11:50 AM Room 6602(Lift 31-32)

Instructor: Prof. Hyokeun Park (Room 5459,hkpark@ust.hk, 7322-

course coordinator)
Prof. Pingbo Huang (Room 5463, bohuangp@ust.hk, 7305)
Dr. Rong Ni (Room 2445, kenirong@ust.hk, 8042)

Prof. Pinbo Huang Dr. Rong Ni

Course Objective:

Apply the biological physics concepts to biological systems,

including macromolecules, molecular motor, membranes,
neurons, protein engineering and bioinformatics.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Understand the advanced concepts of biological physics.

2. Apply the advanced concepts of biological physics to complex

biology and human diseases.

3. Explain issues and importance of biological physics to general

public.
Topics :
1. The scaling laws in biology
2. Light and life
3. Force in life
4. Single-molecule biophysics
-----------Midterm Exam--------------------------------------
5. Ion channel biological physics:
6. Neurophysiology
7. Protein folding and engineering
8. Bioinformatics
-----------Final Exam--------------------------------------

No textbook but lecture notes will be provided in

https://canvas.ust.hk/courses/8733/files

Main References:
Physical Biology of the Cell by Rob Phillips, Jane Kondev, Julie Theriot and Hernan Garcia
Biophysics: Tools and Techniques, Mark C. Leake
The Physics of Living Processes A Mesoscopic Approach, Tomas Andrew Waigh
Biological Physics: Energy, Information, Life by Philip Nelson
Physical Models of Living Systems by Philip Nelson
Grading:

Midterm exam 45%

Final exam 55%

Grade:

Grades on the exams will be determined by the clarity and organization of your
response
Be concise, explicit, and complete

Participation:
Participation in classroom is an important part of the learning process. We
strongly recommend that students should participate in the class.
Any Question???
Physics is about Great Laws
Does Biology Have any Great Theories/Laws?
 What Determine the Size?
Can King Kong exist in the world?

Can King Kong walk like other gorilla?

What make difference between Gazelle and Bison?
Gazelles Bison

Height : 60–110 cm Height : 1.5 to 2 meters

Weight :12 to 75 kg Weight :422 to 998 kg
What make difference between Gazelle and Bison? (II)

Gazelles

Bison
What Determine the Size?
Gazelles

Bison
 What Determine the Size?
Let’s assume that King Kong is 10 times larger than gorilla

Mass 10 x 10 x 10 = 103

Strength a Cross-sectional area 10 x 10 = 102

Strength/Mass ratio? 1/10… 1/dimension

King Kong is proportionally 10x weaker than regular gorilla!

Can King Kong walk like other gorilla?

No, regular gorilla with 10 gorilla’s on him cannot walk.
Why does the Largest Creature Live in the Ocean?

What if there is no buoyant force,

Why would Happen if a Whale Strands on the Beach?
 Universal Laws in Biology?

In 1917, D’Arcy Thompson began his

book
On Growth and Form
with the quote:

“chemistry… was a science but not

Science… for that true Science lay in
its relation to mathematics.”

He then goes on to say:

math + chemistry = Science D’Arcy Thompson(1860 – 1948)

biology + fluffy = science
Founder of Mathematical Biology
 Allometry
1. Study of the relationship of body size to shape, anatomy, physiology
and behavior.

2. Outlined by D’Aracy Thompson in 1917 in “On Growth and Form”

3. The allometric scaling law is expressed as a power law equation

f = a Mp
where f is biological variable of interest, M is mass and p is scaling exponent.

log (f ) = log (a) +p*log( M)

 Relationship between Mass and Size?
Consider a cow and find how an organism’s size depend on mass

L
 Allometric Scaling Laws
1. The most studied of
those variables is basal
metabolic rate.

2. The basal metabolic rate

of mammals and birds
was originally plotted by
Max Kleiber in 1932.

3. In this reconstruction, the

slope of the best straight-
line fit is 0.74, illustrating
the scaling of metabolic
rate with the 3/4 power of
mass
 Allometric Scaling Laws (II)

The basal metabolic rate of all organism fits with 3/4 power of mass.
 Allometric Scaling Laws (III)
1. Allometric Scaling Laws apply
to other biological variables.

2. Examples
Heart beat rate -¼
Life Span ¼
Radius of aortas/ tree trunks ⅜
Genome length for unicellular
organism ¼
Brain mass ¾