Biophysics is a scientific discipline at the crossroads of biology, physics, and chemistry. Biophysicists study structure and function of biological molecules, cells and organisms using the principles and methods of physics. Biophysicists not only study biological systems, they also develop and build new instruments and tools for research and biomedical applications.

Following on from the publication of the human genome at the turn of the century, a growing number of biophysicists are needed to decipher the structures of all the gene products and the complex interactions between them. Biophysicists are also at the forefront of the research in bio-inspired functional materials, bio-mimetics and nanotechnology.

More information about what can be studied in the Biophysics Dual Major.

Biophysicists use knowledge of physics, chemistry and mathematics to study the structure and function of biological molecules, cells and organisms. Biophysics also encompasses fields like bio-molecular modelling, crystallography, spectroscopy, radiology, medical physics, ultrasound, and nanotechnology. In addition to courses in biophysics, students will take courses from a range of fields including physics, chemistry, neuroscience, physiology, biochemistry and structural biology.

Graduates in Biophysics will have interdisciplinary training and will acquire transferable skills providing them with an unique ability to blend into a large variety of working environments including:

• Universities and research centres
• The pharmaceutical (and cosmestic) industry
• Hospitals (e.g. working with Computer Assisted Tomography (CAT) scans and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI))
• Government departments as advisors assisting governments in understanding rapid developments in modern science
• Development of scientific and medical instrumentation, and
• The biotechnology industry.