Physics of Living Systems

(4 Credits)

Living cells, and tissues are governed by the laws of physics and chemistry. Yet their complexity, dynamism, and susceptibility to perturbations demand the development of new conceptual and experimental tools for their study. This course will cover experimental tools, physical concepts and mathematical frameworks that have been developed for the study of living systems. We will highlight how this toolkit can be used to understand the physics and chemistry underlying biologically relevant questions – i.e., questions crucial to understanding and controlling ourselves and the organisms we depend on.