Thermodynamics of Biomolecular Systems
This MIT OpenCourseWare subject covers equilibrium thermodynamics as it applies to biological and chemical systems, starting from the laws of thermodynamics and building toward chemical equilibrium in gas and solution phases. Topics include free energy, entropy, statistical mechanics of macroscopic and microscopic systems, and the forces driving macromolecular interactions such as protein folding and ligand binding. Materials include lecture notes, problem sets, and exams drawn from the MIT curriculum for biological and mechanical engineering students. The course connects classical thermodynamic principles to concrete biomolecular questions, showing how energy and entropy calculations explain why molecules bind, fold, or react the way they do. As with other MIT OCW offerings, all materials are free to access online under a Creative Commons license, with no certificate offered.