Training in Molecular Physics of Biological Systems

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Project summary: Cornell's Molecular Biophysics Training Grant Program offers vigorous interdisciplinary training that combines physical and biological sciences. The trainees selected to participate may have undergraduate degrees in either physical or biological sciences and must have been admitted to the Graduate School at Cornell for training leading to the Ph.D. in one of the Graduate Fields of the twenty-five participating faculty including: Physics, Applied Physics, Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology, Computing Science, Neurobiology and Behavior, Nutrition, Pharmacology and Biophysics. The program is designed to support 12 trainees each year, with a total duration of support for each individual at 2-3 years. Trainees undertake interdisciplinary studies with advanced courses in mathematics, quantum mechanics, statistical thermodynamics, biochemistry and molecular biology, computation and instrumentation, and other special topics. Thesis research and collaborations in the laboratories of the participating faculty complete preparation for a career of teaching and interdisciplinary research in molecular biophysics. The participating faculty members are associated with Cornell's well established and continuously growing Biophysics Program which provides the focus for this training program. Research opportunities in molecular biophysics include investigation of structure and function of proteins and other macromolecules using theoretical approaches, structure determination by synchrotron X-ray crystallography, electron spin resonance spectroscopy, and multidimensional NMR; studies of molecular motors; structures and molecular mechanisms of cell membranes, receptors, and neurotransmitters and associated cellular functions; materials and technology developments including nonlinear laser microscopy, steady-state and time resolved spectroscopy and imaging; single channel recording; optical tweezers; nanofabrication; and through collaborations and Center facilities, many combinations of the above. Computer capabilities, networked, on-line and culminating in the Cornell Theory Center extend the array of facilities for research and education in molecular biophysics. Cornell provides the ideal infrastructure for continued growth of the successful and productive Molecular Biophysics Training Grant. Relevance: All of the projects in which trainees will participate are designed to address biomedical problems of importance to public health. In particular, the goal of this program is to train students to apply the powerful techniques of physics and chemistry to problems of medical relevance. This will lead to the design of new drug therapies, the identification of new cellular and molecular targets for drug therapy, a better understanding of the cell components involved in diseases, and new diagnostic procedures (particularly, noninvasive procedures).