r/Biophysics

I need help with biophysics, please

I have my final in less than 2 weeks, and this is my last chance to pass. I’m looking for someone who can help me quickly understand and explain the material, rather than teach me everything from scratch.

There are 8 topics in total:

• Structure of matter
• Molecular biophysics
• Bioenergetics & thermodynamics
• Bioacoustics
• Optics
• Ionizing radiation
• X-rays
• Electricity in medicine

The material itself isn’t necessarily difficult for me; I’m struggling mainly because I’ve been dealing with depression and have very limited time to study. YouTube hasn’t been particularly useful either.

The exam is oral, but I’m comfortable explaining myself under pressure. What I need is someone who can give me clear, concise explanations of the topics/concepts, so I can save time and then study and practice the oral answers myself.

If anyone has good resources, notes, recordings, or is willing to explain the topics with me, I’d really appreciate it. I’m especially looking for efficient, exam-focused help, not general advice about how to study.

I edited the post to be clearer... hope this is good

I'm starting a PhD in molecular biophysics as someone with a fairly traditional physics background (B.S. physics, research experience in condensed matter physics). My advising committee recommended I take a 4000-level undergrad biochemistry course due to my lack of education/experience in that area. I have not taken any chemistry beyond general chemistry, so I will be taking biochemistry without the organic chemistry prerequisite.

How screwed am I? 😅 What would be some important topics to learn to prepare for a biochemistry course as a physicist?

Engineering + physics undergrad considering different careers, one of which is becoming a professor in biophysics. Though I did some undergraduate research last year and really enjoyed it, I’m very concerned about the difficulty of pursuing an academic career. Thus, if anybody could answer the following questions concerning the competitiveness of biophysics academic positions, would really appreciate it.

1. What are qualified applicant to position ratios like? Is 50:1+ common, even at R2 universities?

2. Do most successful applicants must have postdocs at prestigious institutions & CNS publications, even those applying to R2 universities?

3. Has the difficulty of obtaining a PI position in biophysics changed substantially over the last 10 years? Likewise, has biophysics funding stagnated or drastically declined over the past decade?

I’m not particularly attached to the idea of becoming an biophysics professor, so if the reality is that this is an exceptionally difficult career path, wouldn’t be heartbroken or anything (can simply consider another career). Thus, if becoming a biophysics professor really is extremely challenging, would appreciating knowing that now rather than realizing this after wasting many years.

Whenever people ask me what I'm planning on studying, if I say biology or biophysics they think I mean I want to go into medicine. And if I just say physics the assumption tends to be astro (or particles?).

hi! im currently in the middle of my biomedical engineering degree (bsc) and one class i had on biomaterials really got me hooked onto peptide gels and their applications which eventually branched off into proteins and how they function at a cellular level. i remember i used to play foldit when i was younger so I've been aware of the "lore" behind the importance of protein studies for a while now, but i have genuinely discovered a new found passion for cellular biophysics! i want to study it a bit more in my own time and really build my foundations, but im not sure of good resources just yet. i want to perhaps go for a graduate program in biophysics, as this fascination began about 2 years ago, and have been exploring institutes as well, but would love to hear from anyone about resources for self study or at the very least ones which help build a foundation :]

Hello everyone,

I am exploring research ideas related to origin of life and astrobiology particularly involving physical and mathematical modeling of prebiotic systems.

I am interested in areas such as:

Statistical physics ,Information theory ,Nonequilibrium systems ,Chemical dynamics ,Prebiotic chemistry, Mathematical models of early chemical systems

I would really appreciate hearing perspectives from researchers, or anyone with experience in these areas.I am mainly interested in knowing whether this seems like a reasonable and scientifically meaningful direction to explore, and whether there are important considerations I should be aware of before developing it further.

If anyone with experience in this area would be willing to share their perspective or have a brief discussion, I would really appreciate it.

Thank you

I've always been fascinated by how proteins actually work and how their biomechanics enable them to do their tasks. So, I've made this interactive article that builds up hemoglobin part by part, using tailor-made 3D models and animations to show how its structure and mechanics allow it to grab oxygen at the lungs and let it go near tissues. I also cover the Bohr effect, cooperativity, 2-3 BPG, and a brief history to highlight the work of scientists that contributed to the discovery. Feedback and corrections welcome!