Biophysics has a great importance in all our lives today. As this field has a significant overlap with many other important fields such as biochemistry, systems biology, bioengineering and nanotechnology, it can be said that Biological systems is the very root of all our existence. Because of this vital importance, the majority of students today choose to pursue this field of study. Many prestigious institutions in India as well as overseas provide students with the Bachelors and Masters level courses in Biophysics. The career opportunities for these students are quite high as well. Details on the importance of biophysics and reasons for selecting the course are given below.

Why is it important?

Biophysics is considered to be a very important area of study nowadays. Very recently Biophysicians have discovered how the folding of simplified-sequence protein is done. Many more discoveries such as this will help mankind move one step further.

Specializations in Biophysics:

• Agro physics
• Mathematical biophysics
• Medical biophysics
• Origin of Life
• Systems biology
• Theoretical biophysics

Institutions that offer this course

• Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh (Uttar Pradesh)
• All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi (Delhi)
• Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University: Faculty of Science & Faculty of Life Sciences, Aurangabad (Andhra Pradesh)
• Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar (Punjab)
• Mahatma Gandhi University: Faculty of Applied Science, Kottayam (Kerala)
• Mangalore University: Faculty of Science, Mangalagangothri (Karnataka)
• Manipur University, Imphal (Manipur)
• Punjab University, Chandigarh (Chandigarh)
• Punjabi University, Patiala( Punjab )
• University of Delhi, Delhi
• University of Kalyani: Faculty of Science, Nadia (West Bengal)
• University of Madras, Chennai
• University of Mumbai, Mumbai (Maharashtra)

Foreign institutions that offer Biophysics:

• Harvard University, Boston, United States of America
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States of America

Techniques used in Biophysics

These are a few techniques used:

• Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM)
• Electron Microscopy
• Fluorescent Imaging Techniques
• NMR Spectroscopy
• X-Ray Crystallography

Career opportunities

There are many areas where students of biophysics can get good jobs. This includes institutes of research, government organizations, educational institutions and Hospitals. As biophysics is a very sensitive field, experts of biophysics have the opportunity to get jobs with top research firms all over the world. Those who have a PhD degree in this field have a chance of getting jobs much sooner. It will also be possible for them to get jobs as Lecturers or Assistant professors with universities or colleges. One other field where experienced biophysicists can get jobs includes the pharmaceutical industry. They will be quite willing to recruit qualified as well as experienced graduates.