Biomolecular Thermodynamics

"an impressive text that addresses a glaring gap in the teaching of physical chemistry, being specifically focused on biologically-relevant systems along with a practical focus.... the ample problems and tutorials throughout are much appreciated." –Tobin R. Sosnick, Professor and Chair of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago "Presents both the concepts and equations associated with statistical thermodynamics in a unique way that is at visual, intuitive, and rigorous. This approach will greatly benefit students at all levels." –Vijay S. Pande, Henry Dreyfus Professor of Chemistry, Stanford University "a masterful tour de force.... Barrick's rigor and scholarship come through in every chapter." –Rohit V. Pappu, Edwin H. Murty Professor of Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis This book provides a comprehensive, contemporary introduction to developing a quantitative understanding of how biological macromolecules behave using classical and statistical thermodynamics. The author focuses on practical skills needed to apply the underlying equations in real life examples. The text develops mechanistic models, showing how they connect to thermodynamic observables, presenting simulations of thermodynamic behavior, and analyzing experimental data. The reader is presented with plenty of exercises and problems to facilitate hands-on learning through mathematical simulation. Douglas E. Barrick is a professor in the Department of Biophysics at Johns Hopkins University. He earned his Ph.D. in biochemistry from Stanford University, and a Ph.D. in biophysics and structural biology from the University of Oregon.

This inter-disciplinary guide to the thermodynamics of living organisms has been thoroughly revised and updated to provide a uniquely integrated overview of the subject. Retaining its highly readable style, it will serve as an introduction to the study of energy transformation in the life sciences and particularly as an accessible means for biology, biochemistry and bioengineering undergraduate students to acquaint themselves with the physical dimension of their subject. The emphasis throughout the text is on understanding basic concepts and developing problem-solving skills. The mathematical difficulty increases gradually by chapter, but no calculus is required. Topics covered include energy and its transformation, the First Law of Thermodynamics, Gibbs free energy, statistical thermodynamics, binding equilibria and reaction kinetics. Each chapter comprises numerous illustrative examples taken from different areas of biochemistry, as well as a broad range of exercises and references for further study.

An accessible introduction to thermodynamics for undergraduate biology and biochemistry students.

Enrico Di Cera, a rising star in biophysics, has organized a superb group of authors to write substantial chapters covering the most exciting and central issues relating to the bioenergetic aspects of proteins, nucleic acids, and their interactions. Topics covered in this book are protein and nucleic acid folding and stability, enzyme-substrate interactions, prediction of the affinity of complexes, electrostatics, and non-equilibrium aspects of protein function. The breadth of the topics covered in this book illustrates the growing importance of thermodynamic approaches in the study of biological phenomena. The book should be of wide interest to biophysicists, biochemists, and structural biologists.

This book covers the fundamentals of the rapidly growing field of biothermodynamics, showing how thermodynamics can best be applied to applications and processes in biochemical engineering. It describes the rigorous application of thermodynamics in biochemical engineering to rationalize bioprocess development and obviate a substantial fraction of this need for tedious experimental work. As such, this book will appeal to a diverse group of readers, ranging from students and professors in biochemical engineering, to scientists and engineers, for whom it will be a valuable reference.

No detailed description available for "Thermodynamics and Regulation of Biological Processes".

Advanced Spectroscopic Methods to Study Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics presents the latest emerging technologies in spectroscopy and advances in established spectroscopic methods. The book presents a guide to research methods in biomolecular spectroscopy, providing comprehensive coverage of developments in the spectroscopic techniques used to study protein structure and dynamics. Seventeen chapters from leading researchers cover key aspects of spectroscopic methods, with each chapter covering structure, folding, and dynamics. This title will help researchers keep up-to-date on the latest novel methods and advances in established methods. Presents current, emerging, and evolving advances and applications of spectroscopic techniques in the study of biomolecules, including proteins and nucleic acids Discusses contemporary spectroscopic techniques used to study biomolecular structure, interaction, and dynamics

Introduction to Biomolecular Energetics Including Ligand-Receptor Interactions focuses on the concepts of energetics and their biological applications, including the study of ligand-receptor interactions. The book provides quantitative calculations and addresses topics that have become more prominent in the biochemical and related sciences in recent years, including the first and second laws of thermodynamics, the concept of entropy, free energy or chemical potential, group-transfer potential, physicochemical behavior, and enzyme kinetics. This volume is organized into 10 chapters, and it begins with an overview of the scope of energetics and two general approaches to the field: the classical or phenomenological approach and the statistical-molecular approach. The chapters that follow explore the concepts of energy and entropy in the context of the first and second laws of thermodynamics, along with the relationships between work, heat, energy and entropy as an index of exhaustion. The discussion then shifts to the free energy function and general procedures for computing standard free energies. The book also introduces the reader to the fundamental relationship between chemical potential (free energy) and concentration; high-energy bond and the concept of group-transfer potential; the use of thermodynamic methods in the analysis of physicochemical behavior; and statistical thermodynamics. The final chapter examines the number of ligands that are bound by the receptor entity, how strongly the ligands are held, and the molecular nature of the forces of ligand-receptor interaction. This book will be of interest to biologists and those who want to understand the principles of energetics governing biochemical changes.