7/26/2010
The Center for the Physics of Living Cells (CPLC), an NSF Physics Frontier Center comprising investigators in the fields of physics, chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology, and electrical engineering from the University of Illinois, Baylor University, and University of Notre Dame, is currently holding its 2nd annual Physics of Living Cells Summer School from July 19-24, on the Illinois campus.
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The Center for the Physics of Living Cells (CPLC), an NSF Physics Frontier Center comprising investigators in the fields of physics, chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology, and electrical engineering from the University of Illinois, Baylor University, and University of Notre Dame, is currently holding its 2nd annual Physics of Living Cells Summer School from July 19-24, on the Illinois campus.
Participating Faculty include CPLC Co-Directors Taekjip Ha and Klaus Schulten, Paul Selvin, Yann Chemla, Aleksei Aksimentiev, and Nigel Goldenfeld--all from the Department of Physics--Zan Luthey-Schulten and Martin Gruebele from the Department of Chemistry, and Ido Golding and Anna Sokac from Baylor University College of Medicine Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Their laboratories are pioneering the creation of synergies between different approaches such as single-molecule and live-cell experimental techniques and biological computation and theory, in order to investigate biological problems such as dynamics of protein folding and gene expression in live cells, mechanics of protein-DNA interactions during replication and recombination, and structural and functional dynamics of the ribosome translational apparatus.
The week-long Summer School program includes two-plus days of ‘Basic Training’ elements for all participating students including: lectures by CPLC faculty, a poster session, and introductory mini-courses’ taught by CPLC graduate students and postdocs on optics, software (Matlab, Labview), and visual molecular dynamics (VMD). A subsequent four-day "advanced module" offering intensive training in one of eleven topics based on faculty areas of expertise:
- Single-molecule FRET (Ha)
- Single-molecule FIONA (Selvin)
- Single-molecule force and optical trapping (Chemla)
- Super-resolution fluorescence microscopy (PALM/STORM; Ha)
- Single-event detection in living cells--bacterial swimming (Golding and Chemla)
- Single-event detection in living cells - Phage infection - (Golding)
- Tracking cell surface growth in living fruit fly embryos - (Sokac)
- Fast relaxation imaging (FReI): Protein folding dynamics in living cells (Gruebele)
Plus, three computational biophysics modules:
- Molecular dynamics simulations of single-molecule motors - Klaus Schulten
- Dynamical networks in Protein: RNA assemblies - Luthey-Schulten
- Observing biomolecular interactions with atomic resolution - Aksimentiev
One of the unique aspects of the CPLC Summer School is that the Center’s focus – physical quantification of processes in living cells – makes it possible to offer hands-on, on-site training.
"We have a critical mass of experimentalists, computational physicists, and theorists in the Center which also allows for integrative training in a diverse range of experimental and computational techniques," explained Jaya Yodh, CPLC director of education and outreach. "Another significant impact the Summer School provides is an excellent opportunity for the Center’s own graduate students and post-doctoral fellows – a total of twenty-five this year -- to gain valuable teaching experience to their peers. This interaction serves as an excellent foundation for knowledge transfer and networking between the next generation of scientists interested in the physics of living systems."
The CPLC Summer School, is targeted at senior undergraduates, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and researchers in the chemical and life sciences, biophysics, physics and engineering who are looking to expand their research skills in these fields. Thirty-six students are currently attending the Summer School including 28 graduate students, seven post-doctoral fellows, and one assistant professor; 36% coming from International institutions and 22% of the U.S. students coming from Midwest institutions. This year, nine of the international students are also currently participating in a Junior Nanotech Network student exchange program between the CPLC/UIUC and University of Munich.
The value of the summer school can be summed up in this testimonial by Ruby May Sullan, a student from University of Toronto: “..Talk about comprehensive learning, hands-on instrumentation on state-of-the-art equipment, stimulating discussions with leading fellows in their field, great interaction with fellow graduate students, nice UIUC environment, fun, fun, fun---all in a week's time---that's CPLC Summer School! One of the best weeks I’ve had!”
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Writer/Contact: Jaya Yodh, research assistant professor, Department of Physics; CPLC Director of Education and Outreach, Center for the Physics of Living Cells (CPLC), 217/244-1155.
If you have any questions about the College of Engineering, or other story ideas, contact Rick Kubetz, Engineering Communications Office, 217/244-7716, editor.