Biophysics is a melting pot of several traditional special fields. Here techniques from physics are applied to biological problems. As a biophysicist with background knowledge from physics and biology, you can make important contributions to the improvement of our overall life quality.

Three important examples are listed below:

The development of new, artificial organs and treatment methods – bionanotechnology
Biophysicists cooperate with biochemists and physicians on the development of new, biological materials that can be used in artificial tissues and organs such as hearts, liver, kidneys and intestines. The development of the artificial pancreas which produces the hormone insulin has come the furthest. This artificial pancreas eliminates the need for people with diabetes to inject the necessary insulin with syringes. Diseases may be the result of flaws in the DNA. A future way of treating diseases is to correct these flaws. Biophysicists actively contribute to the work of creating systems that can transport perfect DNA into the affected cells.

Healing of cancer patients
Over 10,000 Norwegians die of cancer every year. Many are cured thanks to successful radiation therapy. Biophysicists play an important role in the calculation of radiation doses for the tumour, and work with the physical and technical premises for the accomplishment of the radiation therapy. Successful treatment builds on detailed knowledge about how radioactive radiation affects human tissues. A biophysicist’s education is based on physics and biological studies, which makes them central in this interdisciplinary research field.

Travelling inside the body
X-rays are the most common imaging methods when making a diagnosis. In recent years, imaging by means of ultrasound and magnetic resonance has been adopted by hospitals. These two techniques produce more detailed information about the inner parts of the body without operations and contribute to more accurate diagnoses. As a biophysicist you will gain professional knowledge both in order to understand the mode of operation of this type of advanced medical equipment, and to contribute to further development and improvements.