Biophysics at the University of Michigan has a long history. It began in the Department of Physics in the 1930s and later became an independent academic unit in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, also called LSA.
The path was not always simple, but many faculty members continued to support and build the field. Today, U-M has strong support for both the undergraduate Biophysics major and the graduate program.
Early beginnings in physics
Biophysics at Michigan began with new technology.
Around 1935, the Department of Physics acquired an electron microscope. This allowed scientists to see extremely small objects, including viruses.
One Michigan scientist, Robley Williams, developed a method called metal shadow-casting. This technique helped researchers see and measure viruses more clearly.
Growth after World War II
In 1949, U-M created a Rackham Ph.D. program in biophysics.
In 1950, the University of Michigan Regents approved the creation of a Department of Biophysics. However, this decision was later reversed after Robley Williams left Michigan for the University of California, Berkeley.
Even without a formal department, biophysics research continued in the Department of Physics.
Important work from this period included:
- Harrison Randall, who began studying viruses and bacteria using infrared spectroscopy in 1948.
- Gordon Sutherland, who started research on the infrared spectra and structure of proteins in 1949.
- Cyrus Levinthal, who carried out experiments that helped show how DNA copies itself.
A time of scientific excitement
During the 1950s, Michigan hosted summer symposia that brought together many leading scientists.
These meetings included major figures in biology, physics, and chemistry, such as:
- James Watson
- Francis Crick
- Max Delbrück
- Salvador Luria
- Erwin Chargaff
- Joshua Lederberg
- Cyrus Levinthal
These gatherings helped build excitement around the new field of biophysics.
Building a stronger program
U-M continued working to create a lasting home for biophysics.
In 1955, the university established a Biophysics Research Center, led by Gordon Sutherland.
In 1960, the Regents created the Biophysics Research Division, also called BRD. This division had its own laboratories in the new Institute of Science and Technology on North Campus.
This was an important step in making biophysics a recognized research area at Michigan.
Around the same time, the field of biophysics was growing nationally:
- The Biophysical Society was founded in 1958.
- The Biophysical Journal began publication in 1960.
The modern era of biophysics at Michigan
In 1962, U-M appointed J. Lawrence Oncley as Director of the Biophysics Research Division. At the time, Oncley was also President of the Biophysical Society.
In 1964, Michigan received a training grant from the National Institutes of Health, also called NIH. This marked the beginning of the modern era of biophysics training and research at U-M.
Early research in the Biophysics Research Division focused mainly on the structure and properties of proteins.
Researchers used many physical and computational methods, including:
- X-ray diffraction
- Optical, infrared, and Raman spectroscopy
- Circular dichroism
- Electron paramagnetic resonance
- Dielectric studies
- Ultracentrifugation
- Theoretical and computational modeling
Expansion of research areas
In 1985, U-M created the University Program in Protein Structure and Design, led by Samuel Krimm.
This program helped hire more faculty and expand research in areas such as:
- Nuclear magnetic resonance, or NMR, spectroscopy
- Fluorescence spectroscopy
- Electron microscopy
- Protein structure
- Cell and membrane research
Research in biophysics grew to include systems at many scales, from individual molecules to whole cells.
Biophysics today
In 1993, the biophysics unit moved to the Chemistry Building on Central Campus. This move helped expand research and collaboration.
In 2007, the Biophysics Research Division became LSA Biophysics.
This change reflected the strength and continued growth of biophysics at the University of Michigan.
Today, U-M Biophysics continues to support research and education in an interdisciplinary field that connects physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, and computing.
