Statistical Mechanics of Cellular Systems and Processes

Addresses fundamental physical principles governing cellular structure and function with implications in clinical and biomedical contexts.

Muhammad H. Zaman (Edited by)

9780521886086, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 26 March 2009

228 pages, 6 b/w illus.
25.3 x 17.8 x 1.8 cm, 0.6 kg

Cells are complex objects, representing a multitude of structures and processes. In order to understand the organization, interaction and hierarchy of these structures and processes, a quantitative understanding is absolutely critical. Traditionally, statistical mechanics-based treatment of biological systems has focused on the molecular level, with larger systems being ignored. This book integrates understanding from the molecular to the cellular and multi-cellular level in a quantitative framework that will benefit a wide audience engaged in biological, biochemical, biophysical and clinical research. It will build new bridges of quantitative understanding that link fundamental physical principles governing cellular structure and function with implications in clinical and biomedical contexts.

1. Concentration and crowding effects on protein stability from a coarse-grained model Jason K. Cheung, Vincent K. Shen, Jeffrey R. Errington and Thomas M. Truskett
2. Observations on the mechanics of a molecular bond under force L. B. Freund
3. Statistical thermodynamics of cell-matrix interactions Tianyi Yang and Muhammad H. Zaman
4. Energy landscape theory of cellular networks Jin Wang
5. Modeling gene regulatory networks for cell fate specification Aryeh Warmflash and Aaron R. Dinner
6. Structural and dynamical properties of cellular and regulatory networks R. Sinatra, J. Gómez-Gardeñes, Y. Moreno, D. Condorelli, L. M. Floría and V. Latora
7. Statistical mechanics of the immune response to vaccines Jun Sun and Michael W. Deem.

Subject Areas: Cellular biology [cytology PSF], Biophysics [PHVN], Classical mechanics [PHD]