Biophysics
(Physics 422/V3800/738)

January 29 - May 18, 2005
Mon 5:00 to 6:15 and Wed 5:15 to 6:30
Class in J-410N

Marilyn Gunner
650-5557
J-301 (office)
http://www.sci.ccny.cuny.edu/~gunner
gunner@sci.ccny.cuny.edu

THIS WEB SITE IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION FOR 2005

Section 1 Jan 28 - Feb 13: Proteins & Motifs Homework I
Section 2 Feb18-Feb27: Forces & Folding Homework II
Section 3 Apr 1-May 8: Biological molecular motors
Reading III
Books on reserve


Useful web sites


The course is divided into 3 sections.

(1) The basics of protein structure.
Using web resources to analyze the relationships between proteins.

(2) The forces that determine protein structure and function.
Hydrophobicity; Electrostatics; van der Waals interactions etc

(3) Analysis of motor proteins. These allow us to study protein function combining biochemistry, structural biology, physics, and engineering principles. We will study motor proteins that use chemical energy of ATP to generate mition. To see where we are going look at the movies showing myosin and tubulin moving down a filament.

Course Requirements. Each person will be given one protein as the basis for a ≈20 page paper. You will show your understanding of the course material in your analysis of the paper. In addition, there will be homework to be handed in most weeks. The grade will be on class participation + the paper. While the homework is pass/fail - you must hand it in at a satisfactory level to pass the class.

This class is for advanced undergraduates and graduate students. Students with diverse backgrounds in biology, chemistry, biochemistry, physics, and engineering are welcome.

Please bring Petsco & Ringe to Class each day during section 1 Jan 28 - Feb 13
Please bring to class all handouts for the section on which we are working.


Schedule

Rasmol & Protein Data Bank

1-Mon Jan 31: Class outline; basic definitions; Start genetic code
Homework.

2-Wed Feb 2: Lecture: Amino acids, Nucleic Acids, The genetic code; protein synthesis
Homework.

3-Mon Feb 7:
Lecture: Amino acid properties; peptide bonds
Homework. (hand in Homework lecture 1,2)

4-Wed Feb 9:
Lecture: Protein Motifs; 1°,2°,3° structures; visualization
Homework

5-Mon Feb 14: Lecture: Protein folds and families
Homework. (hand in Homework lecture 3,4)

6-Wed Feb 16: Matching primary sequences
Homework.

Mon Feb. 21 - No class

7-Wed Feb 23: Structure and sequences of motor and scaffold proteins.
Homework.


Web site with a good overview of forces
8-Mon Feb 28:
Thermodynamics I
reading & homework (hand in Homework lecture 5,6,7)

9-Wed Mar 2: Thermodynamics II

10-Mon Mar 7: Hydrogen bonds; Lennard Jones Interactions & Molecular Volume & Packing
. reading & homework (hand in Homework lecture 8-9 Thermodynamics)

11-Wed Mar 9: Solvation of ions.
Thermodynamic homework due today. There will be a review after class Mar 4 if needed.
reading & homework

12-Mon Mar 14: Hydrophobicity
reading & homework. Solvation energy and Hbd homework due. (hand in Homework lecture 10,11)

13-Wed Mar 16: Sums of small forces
reading & homework.
. .

14-Mon Mar 21: Protein structure determination.

15-Wed Mar 23: pKs and stat. mech
reading & homework. (hand in Homework lecture 12,13)

Mon Mar. 28 - No class

16-Wed Mar 30: Reactions and catalysis (hand in Homework lecture 14,15)

17-Mon Apr 4 Summary forces; Connection to motor proteins (hand in Homework lecture 15,16)

back to top


18-Wed April 6: .Work on a molecular level

19-Mon April 11: .Methods to look at molecular motors

20-Wed April 13: ATPase reactions & biological energy & regulation of protein function

21-Mon April 18: Guest Lecture: Dr. Lazaridis. Calculation of protein structure and function
themis@sci.ccny.cuny.edu

22-Wed April 20:

April 25, 27 Break

23-Mon May 2: Scaffold proteins: Actin & Tubulin

24-Wed May 4: ATPase & rotors

25-Mon May 9: Motors


paper ref

26-Wed May 11: Class reports

27- Mon May 15: Class reports

28- Wed May 18: Class reports

back to top

Wed May 18 Final Paper Due


On reserve
Creighton: Proteins
Darby and Creighton: Protein Structure (the library has this under Narby)
Introduction to Protein Science. Brandon and Tooze
An introduction to hydrogen bonding: George Jeffrey
The hydrophobic effect: Tanford
Atoms and Molecules: Karplus and Porter 
Nicholls: Bioenergetics

Also get a Biochemistry and/or Cell Biology Text
Cell Biology will be more of an over view
Biochemistry will have more specific info on proteins
several are on reserve in library or borrow one from a friend


Last revised May 4, 2005

back to top