Build the Bridge:

Polymer Physics and the Biology of Macromolecules

The Second Rowland Summer Workshop
on the

Physics of Biopolymers

This summer we will be holding the Second Summer Workshop at the Rowland Institute on the Physics of Polymers with the underlying vision to build a bridge with the Biology of Macromolecules. The format of each weekly meeting will consist of two segments. One part will be conducted in an reading/discussion group format where we will discuss our topics and readings for that week. Another part will be devoted to various guest lectures from faculty and other researchers in an effort to provide a broader exposure to the frontiers in this rapidly developing area.

The subject matter of this workshop will start off with the rudiments of polymer theory, and then launch into discussions of the exciting developments (theoretical and experimental) in this rapidly emerging field. In particular, we will focus on biopolymers such as DNA, actin, and flagella. We also plan to have a special session on molecular motors that work on DNA, actin, and flagella. We envision a roundtable discussion on the latest technological tools and their limitations in addressing the questions in this area.

Our summer school will convene once a week on Thursdays 10am-12pm from June 19 - August 14, 1997.
We have had a positive response, and OUR SEATING IS LIMITED. We are requesting all those interested to PLEASE RSVP for each meeting on a weekly basis at Workshop97@rowland.org. Please state your name, address, affiliation and a short description of your research. We will try to accommodate as many people as we possibly can over the course of the summer.

We envision that this workshop will inevitably open the door for us to speculate as to what are the new frontiers in this area and what we can do to further build this bridge.

Looking forward to an exciting summer.

Anita Goel



Department of Physics,                 Div. of Health Sciences and Technology (HST)
Harvard University      and           MIT and Harvard Medical School



Rowland Institute for Science http://www.rowland.org/Workshop97.html
100 Edwin H Land Boulevard
Cambridge,MA 02142
e-mail: goel@physics.harvard.edu

SYLLABUS

June 19 & June 26: Fundamental Polymer Theory / Lingo & Some Frontiers in Polymer Physics

1) The Puzzle of Liquid Water, A Cross - Linked "Polymer Gel"
2) Analysis of Noncoding DNA Using Methods of Statistical Physics
H. Gene Stanley

A Review / Tutorial on Rheology and Constitutive Models for Dilute Polymer Solutions During Flow
Gareth Mckinley

Defects and Braiding in Biological Crystals
David Nelson

Chain Collapse Transition: From DNA and Proteins to Gels and Synthetic Polymers
Alexander Grossberg

July 3

The Physics of DNA
Maxim Frank-Kammentski

Think Tank Session on DNA

July 10

Studying Motor Enzymes One Molecule at a Time
Jeff Gelles

Some Problems of Polymer Physics During Cell Division
Jean Louis Sikorav

July 17

Tensegrity and Polymer Physics in Living Cells: Simplicity in Complexity
Don Ingber

Engineering Entropy: Building Order with Disorder
Seth Fraden

July 24

Smart Gels
Toyo Tanaka

Interactive Research Affair / Poster Session

Special Presentations
      Polymers as Drugs: Flu Virus as a Model System
Matthai Mammen

      Application of CD-ROM Software from Giant Molecules
Sergey Buldrev

July 31

Bacterial Flagella: the Tail that Wags the Dog
Howard Berg

Prospects for Single Molecule DNA Sequencing Through Small Holes and Membranes
Dan Branton and Jene Golovchenko

August 7

Polymer Networks in Cell Biology
Paul Janmey

Molecular Myosin Motors as Crosslinks in Gels of Wormlike Actin Filaments
Joseph Kas

August 14: Session on Experimental Techniques and their Limitations

Light Scattering Techniques
Rama Bansil

Birefringence Techniques
Gareth Mckinley

Optical and Magnetic Manipulation of DNA and Other Polymers
Anita Goel

Using AFM's to Study Biopolymers
Dmitri Vezenov

Rheology: Some ABC's
Jay Tang



SUMMARY, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND FEEDBACK

AGENDA FOR JUNE 19, 1997

9:30 - 10am	Refreshments / Registration
10:00 - 10:45am	Frontiers Lecture Prof. H. Gene Stanley   1) The Puzzle of Liquid Water, A Cross- Linked "Polymer Gel"   2) Analysis of Noncoding DNA Using Methods of Statistical Physics     (Abstracts and References)
10:45 - 11:00am	Q & A / Break
11:00 - 11:45am	Tutorial Lecture   Prof. Gareth H. McKinley   A Review/Tutorial on Rheology and Constitutive Models for Dilute   Polymer Solutions during Flow   (Abstract and References)
11:45-	Q & A ; Informal Discussions, etc.

AGENDA FOR JUNE 26, 1997

9:30 - 10am	Refreshments / Registration
10:00 - 10:45am	Prof. David R. Nelson   Defects and Braiding in Biological Crystals   (Abstract and References)
10:45 - 11:00am	Q & A / Break
11:00 - 11:45am	Prof. Alexander Grosberg   Chain Collapse Transistion: From DNA and Proteins to Gels and   Synthetic Polymers   (Abstract and References)
11:45-	Q & A ; Informal Discussions, etc.

AGENDA FOR JULY 3, 1997

9:30 - 10am	Refreshments / Registration
10:00 - 10:45am	Prof. Maxim D. Frank-Kamenetskii   Biophysics of the DNA Molecule   (Abstract and References)
10:45 - 11:00am	Q & A / Break
11:00 - 11:45am	DNA Think Tank Session
11:45-	Q & A ; Informal Discussions, etc.

AGENDA FOR JULY 10, 1997

9:30 - 10am	Refreshments / Registration
10:00 - 10:45am	Prof. Jeff Gelles   Studying Motor Enzymes One Molecule at a Time   (Abstract and References)
10:45 - 11:00am	Q & A / Break
11:00 - 11:45am	Prof. Jean-Louis Sikorav   Some Problems of Polymer Physics During Cell Division   (Abstract and References)
11:45-	Q & A; Informal Discussions, etc.

AGENDA FOR JULY 17, 1997

9:30 - 10am	Refreshments / Registration
10:00 - 10:45am	Prof. Donald Ingber Tensegrity and Polymer Physics in Living Cells: Simplicity in   Complexity   (Abstract and References)
10:45 - 11:00am	Q & A / Break
11:00 - 11:45am	Prof. Seth Fraden   Engineering Entropy: Building Order With Disorder   (Abstract and References)
11:45-	Q & A; Informal Discussions, etc.

AGENDA FOR JULY 24, 1997

9:30 - 10am	Refreshments / Registration
10:00 - 10:45am	Frontiers Lecture Prof. Toyoichi Tanaka   Smart Gels   (Abstract and References)
10:45 - 11:00am	Q & A / Break / Poster Viewing / Interactive Research Affair
11:00 - 11:15am	Special Presentatation Matthai Mammen   Polymers as Drugs: Flu Virus as a Model System   (Abstract and References)
11:15-	Interactive Research Affair

AGENDA FOR JULY 31, 1997

9:30 - 10am	Refreshments / Registration
10:00 - 10:45am	Prof. Howard Berg   Bacterial flagella: the tail that wags the dog   (Abstract and References)
10:45 - 11:00am	Q & A / Break
11:00 - 11:45am	Profs. Dan Branton and Jene Golovchenko - Joint Lecture   Prospects for Single Molecule DNA Sequencing by Nanopores   (Abstract and References)
11:45-	Q & A; Informal Discussions, etc.

AGENDA FOR AUGUST 7, 1997

9:30 - 10am	Refreshments / Registration
10:00 - 10:45am	Prof. Paul A. Jamney   Polymer Networks in Cell Biology   (Abstract and References)
10:45 - 11:00am	Q & A / Break
11:00 - 11:45am	Prof. Josef A. Käs   Molecular Myosin Motors as Crosslinks in Gels of Wormlike Actin   Filaments   (Abstract and References)
11:45-	Q & A; Informal Discussions, etc.

AGENDA FOR AUGUST 14, 1997

9:30 - 10am	Refreshments / Registration
10:00 - 10:30am	Prof. Rama Bansil   Dept. of Physics, Boston University Overview of Light Scattering Techniques Applied to   Polymers and Biological Macromolecules   (Abstract and References)
10:30 - 10:45am	Prof. Gareth H. McKinley   Dept. of Applied Physics, Harvard Birefringence techniques
10:45 - 11:00am	Break
11:00 - 11:15am	Anita Goel   Dept. of Physics, Harvard and   Div. of HST, MIT and Harvard Medical School Optical and Magnetic Micromanipulation of DNA and   Other Polymers
11:15 - 11:30am	Dmitri Vezenov   Dept. of Chemistry, Harvard  Using AFM's to study biopolymers
11:30 - 11:45am	Jay Tang   Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School Rheology - Some ABC's
11:45 - 12:00pm	Dr. Jeff Hoch   Rowland Institute for Science Some applications of NMR to study polymer dynamics
12:00pm	Lunch and Informal Discussions

DIRECTIONS AND PARKING

UPCOMING WORKSHOP: Biomaterials and Complex Fluids, Brandeis University

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