Single Molecule Biophysics and Poisson Process Approach to Statistical Mechanics (Iop Concise Physics)

This is an overview of single molecule physics, the study of both equilibrium and non-equilibrium properties at the single molecule level. It begins with an introduction to this fascinating science and includes a chapter on how to build the most popular instrument for single molecule biophysics, the total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscope. It concludes with the Poisson process approach to statistical mechanics, explaining how to relate the process to diverse areas and see how data analysis and error bars are integral parts of science.

Dr Susanta K Sarkar is a single molecule biophysicist. At his single molecule biophysics laboratory, he studies biomolecules and nanoparticles one by one to understand their functions and properties. His multidisciplinary research group has two primary research directions--(1) understanding the degradation of the most abundant protein in our body, i.e. collagen, and (2) bioimaging that exploits magnetically modulated emission of fluorescent nanodiamonds without photobleaching or blinking. During his PhD at the University of Oregon, he worked on the nonlinear optical spectroscopy of semiconductor quantum wells to achieve optically tunable slow light. When he transferred to Cornell for postdoctoral study, he switched to single molecule biophysics. He joined the Colorado School of Mines in January 2014 after a few years at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) working on single molecule biophysics and biomedical imaging. Susanta appreciates the support he receives at Mines and enjoys the freedom to work on his scientific dreams. He is looking forward to integrating research and teaching, and producing rigorously trained scientists with multidisciplinary expertise. He also enjoys reading and fishing, and spending time with his wife and son.