Biophysics software for interdisciplinary education and research

TL;DR

This paper presents educational materials and Python-based software designed to facilitate interdisciplinary biophysics teaching and research, emphasizing collaborative projects on diverse topics to enhance student understanding.

Contribution

It introduces adaptable Python software and project-based curricula that support interdisciplinary biophysics education for undergraduates.

Findings

Software enables exploration of diverse biophysical phenomena.

Projects promote collaboration and interdisciplinary learning.

Materials are suitable for lectures and traditional courses.

Abstract

Biophysics is a subject that is spread over many disciplines and transcends the skills and knowledge of the individual student. This makes it challenging both to teach and to learn. Educational materials are described to aid in teaching undergraduates biophysics in an interdisciplinary manner. Projects have been devised on topics that range from x-ray diffraction to the Hodgkin Huxley equations. They are team-based and encourage collaboration. The projects make extensive use of software written in Python/Scipy which can be modified to explore a large range of possible phenomena. The software can also be used in lectures and in the teaching of more traditional biophysics courses.