Biopolymers: Solid Mechanics and DNA Conformations

This lecture covers the solid mechanics of beam deformations, including stretching, bending, and twisting, as well as the modeling of biopolymers such as DNA. It discusses DNA conformations, the stiffness of polymers, and different models for polymer conformation. The instructor explains the ideal freely jointed chain model and the worm-like chain model, highlighting the bending and thermal forces experienced by polymers.