Lecture: Method Course: Research Challenges in Biophysics - Details

Lecture: Method Course: Research Challenges in Biophysics - Details

General information

Course name Lecture: Method Course: Research Challenges in Biophysics
Course number PHM-0363
Semester SS 2024
Current number of participants 7
expected number of participants 8
Home institute Lehrstuhl für Theoretische Physik II
Courses type Lecture in category Teaching
Type/Form Method course
Veranstaltung findet in Präsenz statt / hat Präsenz-Bestandteile Yes
Hauptunterrichtssprache englisch
Weitere Unterrichtssprache(n) deutsch
ECTS points 8

Rooms and times

The course times are not decided yet.

Comment/Description

Students get exposed to exciting research challenges in the field of biophysics and statistical physics.
Topics range from :

- Phase separation kinetics of liquid mixtures
- Dynamics of simple fluids
- Kinetics of semi-dilute, elastic, and inelastic gases
- Self-propelled, aligning gases
- Motility-induced phase separation
- Long-range polar order in two-dimensional active systems
- Active Brownian motion
- Mixtures of hot and cold particles
- Stochastic chemical reaction kinetics at non-dilute conditions


Students will learn the following hard skills:

- fundamental non-equilibrium theories (hydrodynamic transport theories, kinetic theories, dynamic density functional theory, stochastic descriptions, and Ito’s stochastic calculus)
- coarse-graining methods (lattice-based, moment expansion, Mori-Zwanzig, …)
- analytical techniques (stability analysis, partial equilibria, multi-scale perturbation theories)
- simulations techniques (lattice gas automaton, Monte-Carlo, agent-based, stochastic particle dynamics, stochastic rotational dynamics, …),
- discretization methods (Gillespie, spectral method, finite differences, finite elements)
- programming in Python and/or C++

Students will learn the following soft skills:

- Students learn how to apply theoretical concepts from non-equilibrium thermodynamics
- They get trained to establish links between theoretical concepts and modern research problems
- They will build links between lecture and textbook knowledge and applied research question, providing excellent preparation for Master's and Ph.D. research in theoretical physics
- Students learn how to work in teams
- They get trained in autonomous working with scientific literature in English, improving written and spoken English during lectures and exercises,
- Students get stimulated to develop interdisciplinary thinking, and working