Includes bibliographical references and index.

The building blocks -- Mesoscopic forces -- Phase transitions -- Liquid crystallinity -- Motility -- Aggregating self-assembly -- Surface phenomena -- Biomacromolecules -- Charged ions and polymers -- Membranes -- Continuum mechanics -- Biorheology -- Experimental techniques -- Motors -- Structural biomaterials -- Phase behaviour of DNA.

Preface. Acknowledgements. 1 The Building Blocks. 1.1 Proteins. 1.2 Lipids. 1.3 Nucleic Acids. 1.4 Carbohydrates. 1.5 Water. 1.6 Proteoglycans and Glycoproteins. 1.7 Cells (Complex Constructs of Biomolecules). 1.8 Viruses (Complex Constructs of Biomolecules). 1.9 Bacteria (Complex Constructs of Biomolecules). 1.10 Other Molecules. Further Reading. Tutorial Questions. 2 Mesoscopic Forces. 2.1 Cohesive Forces. 2.2 Hydrogen Bonding. 2.3 Electrostatics. 2.3.1 Unscreened Electrostatic Interactions. 2.3.2 Screened Electrostatic Interactions. 2.3.3 The Force Between Charged Spheres in Solution. 2.4 Steric and Fluctuation Forces. 2.5 Depletion Forces. 2.6 Hydrodynamic Interactions. 2.7 Direct Experimental Measurements of Intermolecular and Surface Forces. Further Reading. Tutorial Questions. 3 Phase Transitions. 3.1 The Basics. 3.2 Helix-Coil Transition. 3.3 Globule-Coil Transition. 3.4 Crystallisation. 3.5 Liquid-Liquid Demixing (Phase Separation). Further Reading. Tutorial Questions. 4 Liquid Crystallinity. 4.1 The Basics. 4.2 Liquid-Nematic-Smectic Transitions. 4.3 Defects. 4.4 More Exotic Possibilities for Liquid Crystalline Phases. Further Reading. Tutorial Questions. 5 Motility. 5.1 Diffusion. 5.2 Low Reynold's Number Dynamics. 5.3 Motility. 5.4 First Passage Problem. 5.5 Rate Theories of Chemical Reactions. Further Reading. Tutorial Questions. 6 Aggregating Self-Assembly. 6.1 Surfactants. 6.2 Viruses. 6.3 Self-Assembly of Proteins. 6.4 Polymerisation of Cytoskeletal Filaments (Motility). Further Reading. Tutorial Questions. 7 Surface Phenomena. 7.1 Surface Tension. 7.2 Adhesion. 7.3 Wetting. 7.4 Capillarity. 7.5 Experimental Techniques. 7.6 Friction. 7.7 Other Surface Phenomena. Further Reading. Tutorial Question. 8 Biomacromolecules. 8.1 Flexibility of Macromolec

This book presents the fundamentals of molecular biophysics, and highlights the connection between molecules and biological phenomena, making it an important text across a variety of science disciplines. The topics covered in the book include: phase transitions that occur in biosystems (protein crystallisation, globule coil transition etc); liquid crystallinity as an example of the delicate range of partially ordered phases found with biological molecules; How molecules move and propel themselves at the cellular level? the general features of self assembly with examples from proteins; and, the phase behaviour of DNA. The physical toolbox presented within this text will form a basis for students to enter into a wide range of pure and applied bioengineering fields in medical, food and pharmaceutical areas.