Ebook: Biologically Inspired Physics

The workshop "Biologically Inspired Physics" was organized, with the support of the NATO Scientific Affairs Division and the Directorate-General for Science, Research and Development of the Commission of the European Communities, in order to review some subjects of physics of condensed matter which are inspired by biological problems or deal with biological systems, but which address physical questions. The main topics discussed in the meeting were: 1. Macromolecules: In particular, proteins and nucleic acids. Special emphasis was placed on modelling protein folding, where analogies with disordered systems in con­ densed matter (glasses, spin glasses) were suggested. It is not clear at this point whether such analogies will help in solving the folding problem. Interesting problems in nucleic acids (in particular DNA) deal with the dynamics of semiflexible chains with torsion and the relationship between topology and local structure. They arise from such biological problems as DNA packing or supercoiling. 2. Membranes: This field has witnessed recent progress in the understanding of the statistical mechanics of fluctuating flexible sheets, such as lipid bilayers. It appears that one is close to understanding shape fluctuations in red blood cells on a molec­ ular basis. Open problems arise from phenomena such as budding or membrane fusion. Experiments on model systems, such as vesicle systems or artificial lipids, have great potential. Phenomena occurring inside the membrane (protein diffusion, ionic pumps) were only discussed briefly.

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Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xi
Physics from Proteins....Pages 1-14
Search and Recognition: Spin Glass Engineering as an Approach to Protein Structure Prediction....Pages 15-37
Random Heteropolymers Folding....Pages 39-43
DNA Topology....Pages 45-54
Correlation between Structural Conformations at Different Levels in Hemoglobin Determined by XANES....Pages 55-62
Selective Constraints over DNA Sequence....Pages 63-69
The Physics of DNA Electrophoresis....Pages 71-80
Recent Developments in the Physics of Fluctuating Membranes....Pages 81-94
Vesicle Shapes and Shape Transformations: A Systematic Study....Pages 95-110
Theoretical Analysis of Phospholipid Vesicles and Red Blood Cell Shapes and the Effect of External Electric Field....Pages 111-125
Lipid Membrane Curvature Elasticity and Protein Function....Pages 127-135
Observation of Surface Undulations on the Mesoscopic Length Scale by NMR....Pages 137-147
A Possible Correlation between Fluctuations and Function of a Membrane Protein....Pages 149-155
Microphase Separation in Bilayer Membranes....Pages 157-163
Morphological Changes in Partially Polymerized Vesicles....Pages 165-173
Unbinding Transitions of Polymers or Membranes in Two Dimensions....Pages 175-187
Heat-Flux Driven Biomembrane Transport of Matter and Charge....Pages 189-200
A Lattice Model for Steric Repulsive Interactions in Phospholipid Systems....Pages 201-205
Dynein-Microtubule Interactions....Pages 207-215
Cell Movement and Automatic Control....Pages 217-227
Dielectric Study of the Hydration Process in Biological Materials....Pages 229-240
Protonic Conductivity in Biomaterials in the Frame of Percolation Model....Pages 241-247
Problems in Theoretical Immunology....Pages 249-262
Specialization, Adaptation and Optimization in Dilute Random Attractor Neural Networks....Pages 263-268
Computational Strategy in the Premotor Cortex of the Monkey: A Neural Network Model....Pages 269-278
Mechanisms of Biological Pattern Formation....Pages 279-293
Liquid Crystalline Order in Collagen Networks....Pages 295-299
Physical Approaches to Biological Evolution....Pages 301-315
Quantitative Analysis of Selection and Mutation in Self-Replicating RNA....Pages 317-337
Disordered Systems and Evolutionary Models....Pages 339-345
What Controls the Exocytosis of Neurotransmitter?....Pages 347-362
Structure and Function of the Photosynthetic Apparatus....Pages 363-363
Relaxational Processes in Frustrated Random Systems: A Spherical-Spin Model....Pages 365-370
Crystallography of Composite Flowers: Mode Locking and Dynamical Maps....Pages 371-380
Back Matter....Pages 381-394

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Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xi
Physics from Proteins....Pages 1-14
Search and Recognition: Spin Glass Engineering as an Approach to Protein Structure Prediction....Pages 15-37
Random Heteropolymers Folding....Pages 39-43
DNA Topology....Pages 45-54
Correlation between Structural Conformations at Different Levels in Hemoglobin Determined by XANES....Pages 55-62
Selective Constraints over DNA Sequence....Pages 63-69
The Physics of DNA Electrophoresis....Pages 71-80
Recent Developments in the Physics of Fluctuating Membranes....Pages 81-94
Vesicle Shapes and Shape Transformations: A Systematic Study....Pages 95-110
Theoretical Analysis of Phospholipid Vesicles and Red Blood Cell Shapes and the Effect of External Electric Field....Pages 111-125
Lipid Membrane Curvature Elasticity and Protein Function....Pages 127-135
Observation of Surface Undulations on the Mesoscopic Length Scale by NMR....Pages 137-147
A Possible Correlation between Fluctuations and Function of a Membrane Protein....Pages 149-155
Microphase Separation in Bilayer Membranes....Pages 157-163
Morphological Changes in Partially Polymerized Vesicles....Pages 165-173
Unbinding Transitions of Polymers or Membranes in Two Dimensions....Pages 175-187
Heat-Flux Driven Biomembrane Transport of Matter and Charge....Pages 189-200
A Lattice Model for Steric Repulsive Interactions in Phospholipid Systems....Pages 201-205
Dynein-Microtubule Interactions....Pages 207-215
Cell Movement and Automatic Control....Pages 217-227
Dielectric Study of the Hydration Process in Biological Materials....Pages 229-240
Protonic Conductivity in Biomaterials in the Frame of Percolation Model....Pages 241-247
Problems in Theoretical Immunology....Pages 249-262
Specialization, Adaptation and Optimization in Dilute Random Attractor Neural Networks....Pages 263-268
Computational Strategy in the Premotor Cortex of the Monkey: A Neural Network Model....Pages 269-278
Mechanisms of Biological Pattern Formation....Pages 279-293
Liquid Crystalline Order in Collagen Networks....Pages 295-299
Physical Approaches to Biological Evolution....Pages 301-315
Quantitative Analysis of Selection and Mutation in Self-Replicating RNA....Pages 317-337
Disordered Systems and Evolutionary Models....Pages 339-345
What Controls the Exocytosis of Neurotransmitter?....Pages 347-362
Structure and Function of the Photosynthetic Apparatus....Pages 363-363
Relaxational Processes in Frustrated Random Systems: A Spherical-Spin Model....Pages 365-370
Crystallography of Composite Flowers: Mode Locking and Dynamical Maps....Pages 371-380
Back Matter....Pages 381-394
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