Winter Semester 2017/18

Biophysics is an interdisciplinary field that combines the classical disciplines of physics and biology. While biology examines all forms of life in its diversity and complexity, physics concentrates on the mathematical laws and quantitative descriptions of simple, often idealized systems. The central challenge of biophysics is to build a bridge between the basic physical principles on the one hand and the complexity of living nature on the other. The lecture gives an introduction to the basic concepts of cellular biophysics. In addition to general principles, we will the focus on processes on the micro- and nanometer scale. Covered topics include thermodynamic principles, entropic effects, diffusion, molecular motors, and hydrodynamics at low Reynolds number.

• Place: Institute of Physics and Astronomy, room 2.28.1.001
• Duration: From Oct. 9 to Oct. 13, 10:15 - 15:30 h
• Contact: beta@uni-potsdam.de

- non-equilibrium thermodynamics (Entropy production, Onsager relations)
- causality and fluctuations
- stochastic processes (Markov processes, Master equation, Langevin and Fokker-Planck equation)
- kinetic theory
- phase transitions (Landau theory, Gaussian fluctuations, correlation functions, renormalization theory)
- theory of liquids
- hydrodynamics and elasticity theory

• Place: FU
• Duration: Mondays and Wednesdays, 10 am to 12 pm

• Contact: rnetz@physik.fu-berlin.de

Recent developments in molecular biology and modern analytical methods have increased the knowledge about the ubiquitous role of carbohydrates in animals, plants, and bacteria. Aim of this course is an insight into the interdisciplinary field of glycobiology. It will present an actual survey of the biochemistry of sugar building blocks, oligo- and polysaccharides in pro- and eukaryotic systems. Moreover, qualitative and quantitative carbohydrate analytics will be covered as well as the fundamental biophysical principles underpinning interactions of carbohydrates with proteins. Subject areas: Fundamentals on glycoconjugates. Structural and functional principles of the glycan conformational space. N-and O-linked glycosylation. Glycan analysis. Lectins and carbohydrate binding modules. Physicochemical principles of protein-carbohydrate interactions. Glycan arrays. Microbial glycobiology and pathogenesis.

• Location: Uni-Potsdam, Campus Golm, Haus 25 B0.02
• Duration: Every Monday starting October 16, from 2:15 to 3:45 pm
• Contact: barbirz@uni-potsdam.de

In this course we will introduce some of the standard tools of stochastic modeling. Following examples and case studies, the course covers the main theory of Markov chains in discrete and continuous time. We will investigate main methods of the renewal theory and its widespread applications. We also touch some elementary aspects of information theory, hazard rate theory and a few elementary aspects of data analysis.

• Location: MPIKG, theory seminar room
• Duration: Every Thursday and Friday, 10:30 am to 12 pm, starting October 19
• Contact: angelo.valleriani@mpikg.mpg.de

Object-oriented programming has become a major programming paradigm where effective collaboration is key. The progress of interdisciplinary research and the open-science movement drive the need for collaboration on the source-code level in scientific computation. This course aims to equip students with the necessary tools to take part in and shape the future of computational science.