Theoretical Molecular Biophysics

"Theoretical Molecular Biophysics" is an advanced study book for students, shortly before or after completing undergraduate studies, in physics, chemistry or biology. It provides the tools for an understanding of elementary processes in biology, such as photosynthesis on a molecular level. A basic knowledge in mechanics, electrostatics, quantum theory and statistical physics is desirable. The reader will be exposed to basic concepts in modern biophysics such as entropic forces, phase separation, potentials of mean force, proton and electron transfer, heterogeneous reactions coherent and incoherent energy transfer as well as molecular motors. Basic concepts such as phase transitions of biopolymers, electrostatics, protonation equilibria, ion transport, radiationless transitions as well as energy- and electron transfer are discussed within the frame of simple models.

Klappentext

This advanced study book provides the tools for understanding elementary processes in biology. It also covers many concepts in modern biophysics such as entropic forces, phase separation, proton and electron transfer and potentials of mean force.

Inhalt

Statistical Mechanics of Biopolymers.- Random Walk Models for the Conformation.- Flory-Huggins Theory for Biopolymer Solutions.- Protein Electrostatics and Solvation.- Implicit Continuum Solvent Models.- Debye-Hückel Theory.- Protonation Equilibria.- Reaction Kinetics.- Formal Kinetics.- Kinetic Theory: Fokker-Planck Equation.- Kramers' Theory.- Dispersive Kinetics.- Transport Processes.- Nonequilibrium Thermodynamics.- Simple Transport Processes.- Ion Transport Through a Membrane.- Reaction-Diffusion Systems.- Reaction Rate Theory.- Equilibrium Reactions.- Calculation of Reaction Rates.- Marcus Theory of Electron Transfer.- Elementry Photophysis.- Molecular States.- Optical Transitions.- The Displaced Harmonic Oscillator Model.- Spectral Diffusion.- Crossing of Two Electronic States.- Dynamics of an Excited State.- Elementry Photoinduced Processes.- Photophysics of Chlorophylls and Carotenoids.- Incoherent Energy Transfer.- Coherent Excitations in Photosynthetic Systems.- Ultrafast Electron Transfer Processes in the Photosynthetic Reaction Center.- Proton Transfer in Biomolecules.- Molecular Motor Models.- Continuous Ratchet Models.- Discrete Ratchet Models.- The Grand Canonical Ensemble.- Time Correlation Function of the Displaced Harmonic Oscillator Model.- The Saddle Point Method.