An Advanced Laboratory in Biological Physics

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Research in the life sciences is becoming increasingly interdisciplinary. More biological and biomedical scientists are using new tools and techniques that have been developed by physical scientists, mathematicians, and engineers. At the same time, growing numbers of physicists and engineers are seeking careers in biological and biomedical fields. Recognizing these trends, national panels have urged that the training of the next generation of life scientists should much more closely integrate the biological sciences with the physical sciences and mathematics. This project directly serves to enhance the integration of physics and biology in undergraduate education by developing and testing advanced physics laboratory experiments involving biological physics. Four new student experiments that explore biological applications of experimental physics are being designed and implemented. These labs train undergraduate students in the use of state-of-the-art physics techniques to measure and probe the properties of individual biological molecules and individual living cells. Experiments include measuring the size of individual DNA molecules by observing Brownian motion, probing the elasticity of DNA molecules through gel electrophoresis, using fluorescence correlations to measure the strength of interactions between biomolecules, and building "laser tweezers" to gauge the forces generated by a swimming bacterium. The project envisions a wide range of institutions (from research universities to small colleges) being able to provide similar training experiences to their students, and instructional materials are being written that can be shared with physics faculty and staff at other institutions. Such materials enhance the dissemination of these experimental experiences to the broader physics teaching community through the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) and the National Science Digital Library (NSDL), and through presentations at national and regional professional meetings. The broader impact of this work is also enhanced by the training of faculty members from other institutions through open-house laboratory immersions, coordinated through the national Advanced Laboratory Physics Association (ALPhA). The educational impact of the experiments is being determined by a formal evaluation program using both a Student Assessment of Learning Gains (SALG) instrument and student interviews.