8.592J-HST.452J: Statistical Physics in Biology

Fall 2026

NB. This outline is subject to change as term progresses.


TENTATIVE OUTLINE

Thursday September 10
L1: (MK) Introduction and  (LM) Elements of population genetics

Tuesday September 15
L2: (MK) Evolving probabilities

Thursday  September 17
L3: (LM) Fitness landscapes

Tuesday  September 22
L4: (MK) Forward Kolmogorov equation

Thursday  September 24
L5: (MK) Backward Kolmogorov equation

Tuesday September 29
L6: (LM) Evolutionaty biology of cancer

Thursday  October 1
L7: (LM)  Froces and Protein structure and folding

Tuesday  October 6
L8: (MK) Phases of polymers

Thursday  October 8
L9: (MK) Compact polymers and REM

Thursday October 15
L10: (MK)  DNA

Tuesday  October 20
L11: (MK)  RNA

Thursday October 22
L12: (HP)  Rouse model

Tuesday  October 27
L13: (MK) Microtubules  

Thursday October 29
L14:   (MK) Molecular motors   

Tuesday November 3 
L15:  (LM)  Protein/DNA energetics

Thursday  November 5 
L16: (LM) Protein/DNA search

Tuesday November 10
L17:  (MK) Elements of networks, Dynamics

Thursday November 12
L18:  (MK) Hopflied memories, Oscillations

Tuesdsy November 17
L19: (MK)  Clocks, synchronization, Turing patterns

Thursday  November 19 
L20: (HP)  Molecular search: compact exploration

Tuesday November 24
L21: (HP) Inference : how cells sense the environment, Berg-Purcell

Tuesday December 1
L22: (LM)  Chromatin 1

Thursday  December 3
L23: (LM)  Chromatin 2

Tuesday December 8
Final project presentations

Thursday December 10
Final project presentations


  • 8.592 Course Outline - last update     9/2/2026    by M. Kardar