- Is the area “Physics of Life” or “Biological Physics” Physics?
An emphatic yes!
In 2022, the National Academies of Sciences of the USA conducted a seminal survey precisely about this question, and here is a short summary from their report –
“Biological physics, or the physics of living systems, brings the physicist’s style of inquiry to bear on the beautiful phenomena of life. The enormous range of phenomena encountered in living systems—phenomena that often have no analog or precedent in the inanimate world—means that the intellectual agenda of biological physics is exceptionally broad, even by the ambitious standards of physics.
For more than a century, the contrast between the complexity of life and the simplicity of physical laws has been a creative tension, driving extraordinarily productive interactions between physics and biology. From the double helical structure of DNA to magnetic resonance images of our brain in action, results of this collaboration between physics and biology are central to the modern understanding of life, and these results have had profound impacts on medicine, technology, and industry. Until recently, however, these successes were codified as parts of biology, not physics.
As the 20th century drew to a close, this began to change: Members of the physics community came to see the phenomena of life as challenges to our understanding of physics itself, challenges that are as profound and revolutionary as those posed by phenomena of the inanimate world. This wide range of explorations is united by the search for underlying physical principles, leading to the major conclusion of this study: A new field has emerged.
Conclusion: Biological physics now has emerged fully as a field of physics, alongside more traditional fields of astrophysics and cosmology, atomic, molecular and optical physics, condensed matter physics, nuclear physics, particle physics, and plasma physics.”
You can read the full report here: https://www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/biological-physicsphysics-of-living-systems-a-decadal-survey
You can listen to a discussion about this report here –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfeJ0o9po1A
- What kind of physics is used to study biological systems?
The full gamut of theoretical and experimental physics, engineering tools, mathematics, and even ideas from computer science are increasingly being used to study biological systems. Very broadly, topics and methods from dynamical systems, statistical and condensed matter physics, differential geometry, partial differential equations, probability, graph theory, optimization algorithms, network theory, machine learning.
The PoL Program
- Why is there a separate PoL PhD program when ICTS and NCBS have their PhD programs?
The PoL program is unique! It is a TIFR PhD program and is specifically aimed at training the next generation of researchers in the field of “Physics of Life” and tackling the most challenging and ambitious questions at the forefront of the field. A particular emphasis is placed on a balance between theory and experiment within the PoL program. To this end, a specific course structure has been designed for the PoL program: this includes a core set of theory and experiment courses and also a wide range of relevant electives. Apart from the bespoke course structure, research requirements, the different milestones along the PhD research journey, and the eventual PhD evaluations for the PoL program are distinct from the requirements at either NCBS or ICTS – there is a unique PoL way! It is also important to note that entry into this program is not a backdoor route into either of the two institutes.
- I don’t know any biology. Is PoL for me?
PoL targets exceptionally creative and adventurous students. Most PoL faculty and current students did not study biology after school but are fascinated by how living systems work – a deep curiosity and motivation to understand living systems is at the core of the program. Biology is a source of some of the most intellectually rich and challenging research questions, and this has motivated many physicists (even many “quintessential physicists” such as Feynman!) to learn biology deeply. If you have strength in your core discipline, have an open mind to explore biology, and are motivated to take on some of the deepest scientific questions, then yes, PoL is for you!
- Is the focus of PoL only theory, or does it also include experiment?
As with the long tradition of science and as in any good research program, theory and experiment go hand in hand; the PoL program is no exception. The PoL faculty and students are a mix of practitioners of theory and experiment. During the coursework, you will be exposed to both these aspects (see below for more details). There are research rotations that will enable you to try both theory and experiment before you decide on what to pursue eventually for your PhD research (see below for more details). Even after starting to work towards your PhD research, theorists are particularly encouraged to make connections with experiments/data and vice-versa.
Admission to the PoL Program
- How do I get admitted to the PoL program?
The full details of the admission process can be found here – https://pol.icts.res.in/admissions
- Will there be biology questions in the PoL admissions interview?
It is not a biology interview! During the interview, you will be asked questions mainly pertaining to
- your core strengths, be they in Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science, or engineering,
- your ability to think and address Physics/Math/CS/Engg. problems that might arise from biological processes,
- your motivations to study and research living systems
After Joining the Program
- What are the requirements to obtain a PhD within the PoL program?
The full details of the program structure and requirements can be found here: https://pol.icts.res.in/admissions
- Is the coursework difficult? How many biology courses should I take?
Via the courses, you will learn unique ways to think about living systems and learn about new frontiers of physics itself. The courses include both theory and experiment. They are designed to challenge you and are not meant to be easy, but they will surely be rewarding. While it is important to get good grades in the courses, the emphasis is on learning and developing skills to enable the PhD research journey. As a natural outcome of being part of PoL and wanting to be at the forefront of the field, we hope that you will want to learn more biology; therefore, you will have access to all the biology courses taught at NCBS. For the PoL program itself, there are some minimal credits required from biology courses.
- How much computation should I know before taking the courses?
Scientific computation is an essential part of modern research in any area. Many of the courses will require such skills, and having exposure to any programming language will be an added advantage.
- How much prior experimental skill is required for the courses and the PhD program?
While any prior exposure to experiment is highly welcome, admission to and subsequent progress through the PoL program do not require any prior experimental experience. You will be given enough opportunity during the courses and rotations (see next question) to develop some skills that will enable you to take up experimentation for your PhD, if you so wish to.
- How is the decision to join a particular research group made?
Students will have the opportunity to do “research rotations” – short, focused periods of research work within specific groups of potential interest – before finalizing a group to join for a PhD. Rotations enable students to not only explore possible research areas but also to explore both theoretical and experimental research approaches. The final decision to join a particular group/lab, based on the rotations, will be made by mutual agreement between the student and the research faculty/group.