From Photon to Neuron: A Textbook on Light, Imaging, and Vision

University Of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA

Investigators

Abstract

The PI will complete and make available to the International Physics of Living Systems Graduate Research Network, as well as anyone interested, a study and supplementary materials at the interface between the physical and life sciences. These materials will address many 21st century topics of great current interest, and its plan does not correspond to standard curricula currently widely taught; therefore commercial publishers may deem it too risky to undertake, because the proposed work is highly exploratory. The materials will be made available at no cost. Funds are also provided for one or more workshops to help potential adopters learn techniques for creating interdisciplinary courses on this subject, as the PI has already done successfully at University of Pennsylvania. Both undergraduate and graduate students, both in physical and life sciences, need to know about the physics and biology of light. In the 21st century, it has become increasingly clear that the quantum nature of light is essential both for the latest imaging modalities and even to advance knowledge of fundamental life processes such as photosynthesis and human vision. The PI has taught an interdisciplinary course to Penn undergraduates from several STEM majors that presents a single, unified picture of light that explains basic biophysical phenomena as well as the instruments many of the students are using in their research labs (including nanotechnology labs) and is familiar with the needs that a student working on biological problems needs. The teaching materials also include topics like color vision and the neuroscience of visual transduction, as well as materials-science topics like x-ray crystallography and spectroscopy.