Integrated Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Computer Science

The Frontiers In Science (FIS) program is intended to introduce students from all disciplines and academic levels to the beauty and fun of scholarly pursuits in the natural and physical science disciplines, and to engage faculty in interdisciplinary and multi-institutional research activities. The foundation of the FIS program are monthly seminar presentations on leading-edge interdisciplinary research in biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, and physics, and open discussions on opportunities in science as a career, research training internships for students, and faculty research collaborations.

2008 Seminars

• November 13, 2008
  • Information Maximization in the Retina, Yuan Sophie Liu, PhD., Post-Doctoral Scholar (Prof Tatyana Sharpee's Research Group), CTBP & The Salk Institute for Biological Studies
  
  
• October 16, 2008
  • Conformational Motions of Proteins & RNA, Alex Schug, PhD., Post-Doctoral Scholar (Prof Jose Onuchic's Research Group - Molecular Biophysics), CTBP & the Department of Physics, UCSD
  
  
• September 25, 2008
  • Modelling of Electrostatics and Diffusion Processes in Biological Systems,Ben-Zhou Lu, PhD., Post-Doctoral Scholar (Prof Andy McCammon's Research Group - Molecular Biophysics), CTBP, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCSD
  • The Continuum Model is a computational method that is being used by a growing number of researchers to simulate multiscale processes within biological systems. This method is based upon an average description of the macroscopic statistics of (some) individual atomic or molecular properties of a defined molecular or subcellular system. Therefore, this approach can considerably reduce the degrees of freedom and efficiently simulate molecular solvation effects and diffusion-reaction kinetics, while alleviating the need for expensive sampling. I will discuss our recent developments in Poisson-Boltzman methodologies (a mathematical description of molecular electrostatic interactions in ionic environments), specifically the finite element method and fast multipole boundary integral method, as well as the fully-continium models of diffusion (e.g., Smoluchowski; Poisson-Nerst-Planck). Some applications and results/predictions using this methods will also be discussed. This talk is especially relevant who wish to better understand how fundamental mathematics, physics and chemistry are playing larger and important roles in our quest to better understand biological phenomena
  
  
• August 28, 2008
  • Pulling Single Molecules Apart by Laser Tweezers, Atomic Force Microscopes and Nanopores: Theory and Experiment, Olga Dudko, PhD., Asst Professor, CTBP & the Department of Physics, UCSD
  • Mechanical forces are generated during nearly every facet of the living cell cycle. Recent advances in experimental techniques enable experimentalists to exert forces on individual molecules and observe their response in real time. These experiments have spectacular resolution of piconewton forces and sub-nanometer extensions, and thus have the potential to provide unprecedented insights into structure, dynamics, interactions and mechanical properties of individual molecules. However, interpretation of the experimental observables in terms of the underlying molecular interactions and structures is an extremely challenging task because the applied force drives the system out of equilibrium. I will present a theory for extracting microscopic information from single-molecule pulling experiments. The use of the theory will be illustrated by analyzing the nanopore unzipping of individual DNA hairpins and the unfolding of single protein molecules with an atomic force microscope.
  
  
• April 24, 2008
  • Genetic Networks , Terence Hwa, PhD., Professor, Department of Physics & CTBP, UCSD
  
  
• March 27, 2008
  • Computations in the Visual Cortex, Minjoon Kouh, PhD., Post-Doctoral Scholar (Prof Tatyana Sharpee's Research Group), CTBP & The Salk Institute for Biological Studies
  
  
• February 28, 2008
  • Molecular Machines in RNA and Protein Synthesis, Stefan Klumpp, PhD., Post-Doctoral Scholar (Prof Terry Hwa's Research Group), CTBP & the Department of Physics, UCS
  
  
• January 31, 2008
  • MicroRNAs: Microprocessors that Fine-Tune Tissue Development, Peter McHale, PhD., Post-Doctoral Scholar (Prof Herbie Levine's Research Group - Biological Dynamics of Cellular Systems), CTBP & the Department of Physics, UCSD