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Preface

excellent concise reference source for the array of physical

science tools available to tackle biological problems.

In this book I focus specifically on the purpose, the

science, and the application of the physical science

tools. The chapters have been written to encapsulate all

tools active in current research labs, both experimental

and analytical/​theoretical. Bulk ensemble methods as

well as single-​molecule tools, and live-​cell and test tube

methods, are discussed, as all are different components

available in the physical scientist’s toolbox for probing

biology. Importantly, this broad material is compre­

hensively but concisely mapped into one single volume

without neglecting too much detail or any important

techniques. Theoretical sections have been written to

cover “intermediate” and “advanced” ability, allowing

levels of application for students with differing mathem­

atical/​computational abilities. The theory sections have

been designed to contrast the experimental sections in

terms of scale and focus. We need theories not only to

interpret experimental techniques but also to understand

more general questions around evolution, robustness,

nonequilibrium systems, etc., and these are not tied to

molecular scales.

Future innovators will need to be trained in multidis­

ciplinary science to be successful, whether in industry,

academia, or government support agencies. This book

addresses such a need—​to facilitate educating the future

leaders in the development and application of novel phys­

ical science approaches to solve complex challenges linked

to biological questions. The importance of industrial

application at the physical/​life sciences interface should

not be underestimated. For example, imaging, tracking,

and modeling chemical interactions and transport in

industrial biological/​biomedical products is an emergent

science requiring a broad understanding and applica­

tion of biophysical sciences. One of the great biopharma

challenges is the effective delivery of active compounds

to their targets and then monitoring their efficacy. This

is pivotal to delivering personalized healthcare, requiring

biological processes to be understood in depth. This is

also a good example of scales: the necessary molecular

scale of target, binding site, etc., and then the much

larger organismal scale at which most candidate drugs

fail—​that of toxicology, side effects, etc. Physically based

methods to assess drug delivery and model systems facili­

tating in vitro high-​throughput screening with innovative

multilength scale modeling are needed to tackle these

challenges.

Also, the need for public health monitoring and iden­

tifying environmental risks is highly relevant and are key

to preventative medicine. An example is exposure to

ionizing radiation due to medical imaging, travel, or the

workplace. Detecting, monitoring, and understanding

radiation damage to DNA, proteins, and cellular systems

during routine imaging procedures (such as dental x-​

rays or cardiothoracic surgery) are key to understanding

noncancer effects (e.g., cataracts in the lens of the eye)

and the complications of radiation-​based cancer therapy.

These are core global public health issues.

Understanding the science and application of new

instrumentation and analysis methods is vital not only

for core scientific understanding of biological process

in academia but also for application in many sectors

of the industry. Step changes in science and healthcare

sectors are always preceded by technological advances

in instrumentation. This requires the integration of spe­

cialist knowledge with end-​users’ requirements along­

side an appreciation of the potential commercialization

process needed to exploit such innovation in both public

and private sectors via both multinational companies and

small-​ to medium-​sized business enterprises (SMEs).

Such real-​world challenges require individuals who are

skilled scientists and experts in their own field, but who

are also equipped to understand how to maximize impact

by utilizing the full investigative power of the biophysical

sciences. Specific advances are needed in advanced optical

microscopy and instrumentation, single-​molecule detec­

tion and interactions, atomic force microscopy (AFM),

image processing, polymer and synthetic chemistry, pro­

tein crystallography, microfabrication, and mathematical

and finite element modeling to then interface with current

biological and healthcare problems.

This book is structured as nine concise chapters, navi­

gating the reader through a historical background to the

concepts and motivation for a physical science toolbox in

understanding biology, and then dedicating a chapter to

orienting readers from a physical science area of expertise

to essential biological knowledge. Subsequent chapters

are then themed into sections involving experimental

biophysical techniques that primarily detect biological

components or measure/​control biological forces. These

include descriptions of the science and application of the

key tools used in imaging, detection, general quantitation,

and biomolecular interaction studies, which span multiple

length and time scales of biological processes, ranging

from biological contexts both in the test tube and in the

living organism. I then dedicate a chapter to theoretical

biophysics tools, involving computational and analytical

mathematical methods for tackling challenging biological

questions, and end with a discussion of the future of this

exciting field.

Each chapter starts with a “General Idea,” which is a

broad-​canvas description of the contents and import­

ance of the chapter, followed by a nontechnical over­

view of the general area and why it is relevant. Case

examples are used throughout for the most popular

physical science tools, involving full diagrams and a

précis of the science involved in the application of the

tool. “Key Points” are short sections used to reinforce

key concepts, and “Key Biological Applications” are used

to remind the reader of the general utility of different

biological questions for the different biophysical tools