physics

Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology

Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology rather than just read about it. In short: Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology is a peer-reviewed scientific journal publishing review articles in the fields of biophysics and molecular biology. It was established in 1950 as Progress in Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, obtaining its current title in 1963.

Key takeaways

Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology is a peer-reviewed scientific journal publishing review articles in the fields of biophysics and molecular biology. It was established in 1950 as Progress in Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, obtaining its current title in 1963. It is published by Elsevier and the editors-in-chief are Denis Noble (University of Oxford), Tom Blundell (University of Cambridge), and Delphine Dean (Clemson University). According to the Journal Citation Reports, the journal has a 2020 impact factor of 3.667, and a CiteScore of 5.8.

History First published in 1950, under the title Progress in Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, its original format was as a hardback book issued annually containing specialist reviews of important papers in the various different fields. Its multi-disciplinary coverage spanning biological and physical science disciplines was novel at that time, anticipating a trend that developed over the following decades. It was well regarded from the publication of the first edition, with one reviewer describing it as "refreshingly different", and recommended "for advanced students who want a comprehensive review of various phases of biophysics, biophysical chemistry, physiology, and the theoretical basis of specialized experimental techniques". The founding editors were physicist Sir John Randall and the biochemist John Alfred Valentine Butler. Both had been closely involved with early work on the structure of DNA, Butler in early identification of the histone action in the inhibiting of DNA template action at the Chester Beatty Institute of the University of London, and Randall as director of the King's College London lab where Maurice Wilkes and Rosalind Franklin performed their experiments to determine the helical structure of DNA. The first volume included topics including the novel technique of X-ray crystallography of protein molecules, and the mechanical and thermal properties of muscle fibre operation. When Randall stepped down in 1957 he was succeeded by Sir Bernard Katz FRS, and in 1961 by Hugh Huxley. Denis Noble FRS became editor when Huxley retired in 1967, and was joined by SirTom Blundell FRS as co-editor in 1979. From 2018 to 2020, they were joined by Peter Kohl. The publisher was Pergamon Press, which was taken over in 1951 by Robert Maxwell shortly after publication of the first issue. Maxwell wanted to convert the format to a general biophysical journal rather than an annual review in book form, a suggestion strongly resisted by Butler. From 1969 onwards, more frequent paperback issues were released, and the annual hardback edition was discontinued after Butler's death in 1977. In 1991, Maxwell sold Pergamon to Elsevier, although there is some doubt as to whether the sale was completed until after Maxwell's death and the collapse of his business empire. In more recent years the journal has increasingly supported interdisciplinary and integrative research through "Themed Issues", often linked to high level discussion meetings on related topics. The overall emphasis remains on the synthesis of both reductionist and integrationist approaches, as well as combining structural and functional viewpoints.

Some influential papers and reviews Reviews, articles and papers have stimulated notable lines of research in a wide variety of fields, as well as occasionally provoking controversy and debate. Some examples include:

Muscle metabolism Huxley, A.F. (1957). "Muscle Structure and Theories of Contraction". Progress in Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry. 7: 255–318. doi:10.1016/S0096-4174(18)30128-8. PMID 13485191. 4456 citations in "Google Scholar". 2022-03-18. Woledge, Roger C. (1971). "Heat Production and chemical change in muscle". Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology. 22: 37–74. doi:10.1016/0079-6107(71)90004-6. 117 citations in "Google Scholar". 2022-03-18.

The role of histones Butler, J.A.V.; Johns, E.W.; Phillips, D.M.P. (1968). "Recent investigations on histones and their functions". Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology. 18: 209–244. doi:10.1016/0079-6107(68)90025-4. PMID 4894871. 68 citations in "Google Scholar". 2022-03-18.

Cardiac regulation mechanisms Hartzell, H.Criss (1988). "Regulation of cardiac ion channels by catecholamines, acetylcholine and second messenger systems". Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology. 52 (3): 165–247. doi:10.1016/0079-6107(88)90014-4. PMID 2477870. 474 citations in "Google Scholar". 2022-03-18. Vigmond, E.J.; Weber dos Santos, R.; Prassl, A.J.; Deo, M.; Plank, G. (January 2008). "Solvers for the cardiac bidomain equations". Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology. 96 (1–3): 3–18. doi:10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2007.07.012. PMC 2881536. PMID 17900668. 343 citations in "Google Scholar". 2022-03-18. Kohl, Peter; Hunter, Peter; Noble, Denis (January 1999). "Stretch-induced changes in heart rate and rhythm: clinical observations, experiments and mathematical models". Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology. 71 (1): 91–138. doi:10.1016/s0079-6107(98)00038-8. PMID 10070213. 342 citations in "Google Scholar". 2022-03-18.

RNA virus replication Lodish, Harvey F. (1968). "The replication of RNA-containing bacteriophages". Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology. 18: 285–312. doi:10.1016/0079-6107(68)90027-8. PMID 4894873.

DNA virus replication Stone, Alan B. (1970). "The replication of DNA-containing viruses". Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology. 20: 133–185. doi:10.1016/0079-6107(70)90015-5.

Vitamin D metabolic effects Lips, P. (September 2006). "Vitamin D physiology". Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology. 92 (1): 4–8. doi:10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2006.02.016. PMID 16563471. 1580 citations in "Google Scholar". 2022-03-18. Zittermann, Armin (September 2006). "Vitamin D and disease prevention with special reference to cardiovascular disease". Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology. 92 (1): 39–48. doi:10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2006.02.001. PMID 16600341. 729 citations in "Google Scholar". 2022-03-18. Cantorna, Margherita T. (September 2006). "Vitamin D and its role in immunology: Multiple sclerosis, and inflammatory bowel disease". Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology. 92 (1): 60–64. doi:10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2006.02.020. PMID 16563470. 421 citations in "Google Scholar". 2022-03-18.

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Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology

In research: Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 9 times per year journals, Academic journals established in 1950, Biophysics journals, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology means in your own words.
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Frequently asked questions

What is Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology in simple terms?

Why does Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology.