A primary aim of the Department of Biophysics since its foundation in 1968 has been to understand in physiochemical terms the molecular mechanism by which muscles produce force. Muscle contraction involves the cyclic interaction of the proteins myosin and actin, often pictured as the rowing of the myosin and actin filaments past each other, using the hydrolysis of ATP as a source of energy.

The work of this Emeritus Group focuses on the functional anatomy of circuits in the cerebral cortex that form the basis of simple behavior (e.g. decision making). The group’s aim is the reconstruction of a cortical column in silico, e. g. with a computer.