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.

"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.

Comprehensive textbook on all the aspects of theoretical molecular biophysics.- Includes exercises and problems.- Provides a rigorous background in terms of statistical physics and quantum chemical physics selected for the understanding of biological systems, their equilibrium properties and dynamical aspects on a molecular level.- Specific applications relate to molecular machines and elementary processes in photosynthesis. Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Autorentext

Philipp Scherer received his PhD in experimental and theoretical physics in 1984 with Prof. Wolfgang Kaiser and Prof. Sighart Fischer in Munich. From 1985-1999 he was postdoc at Technische Universität München where he received his habilitation in theoretical physics in 1996. In 2001 and 2003 he spent several months as a visiting scientist at AIST in Tsukuba, Japan. Since 1999 he is lecturer at TUM, from 2006-2008 he was temporary leader of the institute for theoretical biomolecular physics at TUM , since 2008 he is adjunct professor at TUM. Sighart Fischer received his PhD in theoretical physics in 1965 with Professor F. Hund in Göttingen. From 1966-1969 he was postdoctoral fellow and instructor at Northwestern University and at the University of Chicago. From 1970-1974 he was professor at the Nortwestern University, Evanston, since 1974 Universitätsprofessor für Theoretische Physik at Technische Universität München, and since 2006 he is an emeritus of excellence.

Inhalt
Statistical Mechanics of Biopolymers.- Random Walk Models for the Conformation.- FloryHuggins Theory for Biopolymer Solutions.- Protein Electrostatics and Solvation.- Implicit Continuum Solvent Models.- DebyeHückel Theory.- Protonation Equilibria.- Reaction Kinetics.- Formal Kinetics.- Kinetic Theory: FokkerPlanck Equation.- Kramers' Theory.- Dispersive Kinetics.- Transport Processes.- Nonequilibrium Thermodynamics.- Simple Transport Processes.- Ion Transport Through a Membrane.- ReactionDiffusion 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.