Biophysics is the application of quantitative principles and methods to biological systems. Biophysics is thus interdisciplinary, and has much overlap with tools and ideas used in Chemistry. One can argue that there is no more interesting and important object than a biological one. Biological systems are interesting because of the novel behavior that emerges from their complexity, important because an understanding of biology relates directly to us as humans, and can lengthen our lives. Sir Peter Medawar, Nobel Laureate, writes in his book Advice To a Young Scientist, "Any scientist of any age who wants to make important discoveries must study important problems... It is not enough that a problem should be interesting." Our biophysics group spans the discipline from pure to applied science, from theoretical to experimental work, and from curiosity-driven science to health-based research.

Research projects in biophysics cover a wide array of topics, from microsystems instrumentation, computer simulation and theory of biomolecular behaviours, to the study of structure-properties-function relationships in a wide variety of bio-materials. Visit individual researcher's profiles and website below for more information.

Banner image: Structure of the TNF receptor associated factor, or TRAF6, a protein involved in marking other proteins for degradation. Both the solvent-accessible surface and a ribbon diagram showing the secondary structure are shown. Regions are colored by their predicted likelihood to interact with another protein called SOD1, with blue being more likely. The likely interaction regions form a kind of "belt" around the protein. Credit: Steven Plotkin.