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Molecular and Structural Biology III: Biophysical Analysis of Macromolecular Mechanisms
Last Updated: 2026-06-03 00:14:04
Abstract
The course covers biophysical methods for characterising conformational transitions and reaction mechanisms of proteins and other biological macromolecules. It is especially suited for students in the Biology MSc Majors “Structural Biology & Biophysics”, “Biochemistry”and “Chemical Biology”, as well as for MSc students of “Chemistry and Interdisciplinary Natural Sciences”.
Objective
The goal of the course is to provide a broad overview of biophysical techniques available for studying conformational transitions, binding equilibria and complex reaction mechanisms of biological macromolecules. After attending the course students will be familiar with the characteristics, advantages and drawbacks of a wide range of biophysical techniques. They will be able to decide on a suitable method to investigate a given biochemical reaction or biological question.
Content
The biophysical techniques covered in the course include methods to analyse the thermodynamic and kinetic parameters of protein-ligand interactions, folding and conformational states as well as other biophysical properties of larger molecular assemblies. Amongst the methods discussed are static and dynamic light scattering, analytical ultracentrifugation, spectroscopic techniques such as fluorescence anisotropy, Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) and single molecule fluorescence spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and optical tweezer applications, as well as isothermal and differential scanning calorimetry.
Resources
Lecture Notes
Course material from the individual lecturers will be made available on the moodle platform.
Literature
References to relevant literature (overview articles, tutorials etc) will be provided by the individual lecturers during the course.
Learning Materials (Links)
- Moodle course
- Moodle-Kurs / Moodle course
General Information
- Language
- English
- Levels
- MSC , NDS
- Frequency
- Yearly recurring
Examination
- Type
- session examination
- Mode
- written 60 minutes
- Aids
- Nicht programmierbare Taschenrechner
Course Components
| Type | Title | Time & Place | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| lecture | Molecular and Structural Biology III: Biophysical Analysis of Macromolecular Mechanisms |
|
2 h weekly |