Michael Durst
Office
McCardell Bicen Hall 515
Tel
(802) 443-5210
Email
mdurst@middlebury.edu
Office Hours
Spring 2024: TW 4:15 to 5 PM, R 3 to 4 PM, and by appointment

Prof. Michael Durst, Ph.D., is an experimental physicist with a focus on biomedical optics.  Prof. Durst joined Middlebury College in 2014.  Previously, he served as a visiting assistant professor of physics at Bates College and as a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Boston University. Prof. Durst earned his Ph.D. and M.S. from the School of Applied and Engineering Physics at Cornell University and his B.S. from Georgetown University.  Prof. Durst’s research uses lasers to form 3D images beneath the surface of biological tissue, and his current project seeks to apply these techniques in the infrared.  For more information, please see the description below as well as links to Prof. Durst’s research website and publication list.

Courses Taught

Course Description

Senior Independent Research
Seniors conducting independent research in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry under the guidance of a faculty mentor should register for MBBC 0700 unless they are completing a thesis project (in which case they should register for MBBC 0701). Additional requirements include attendance at all MBBC-sponsored seminars and seminars sponsored by the faculty mentor’s department, and participation in any scheduled meetings and disciplinary sub-groups and lab groups. (Approval required).

Terms Taught

Winter 2021, Spring 2021, Winter 2022, Spring 2022, Winter 2023, Spring 2023, Winter 2024, Spring 2024, Winter 2025, Spring 2025

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Course Description

Senior Thesis
This course is for seniors completing independent thesis research in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry that was initiated in BIOL 0500, CHEM 0400, MBBC 0500, or MBBC 0700. Students will attend weekly meetings with their designated research group and engage in one-on-one meetings with their research mentor to foster understanding in their specialized research area. Students will also practice the stylistic and technical aspects of scientific writing needed to write their thesis. (BIOL 0500, CHEM 0400, MBBC 0500, MBBC 0700) (Approval required).

Terms Taught

Winter 2021, Spring 2021, Winter 2022, Spring 2022, Winter 2023, Spring 2023, Winter 2024, Spring 2024, Winter 2025, Spring 2025

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Course Description

Introductory Mechanics
This calculus-based course examines fundamental topics in motion and mechanics, including inertia, force, Newton's laws of motion, work, energy, linear momentum, collisions, gravitation, rotational motion, torque, angular momentum, and oscillatory motion, emphasizing applications in physics and engineering. Laboratory explorations of topics covered in lecture will build students’ physical intuition and problem solving skills. (MATH 0121; students may not receive credit for both PHYS 0108 and PHYS 0109) 3 hrs. lect/3 hrs. lab.

Terms Taught

Spring 2021

Requirements

DED, SCI

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Course Description

Oscillatory Motion, Waves, Optics, and Thermodynamics
This calculus-based course covers oscillations, wave motion, sound, geometrical optics, physical optics, and thermodynamics. Other physics topics may be added at the discretion of the instructor. Lab experiments will explore these topics and develop skills in experimentation and data analysis. (PHYS 0108 or 109) And (MATH 0121) 3 hrs. lect./3 hrs. lab.

Terms Taught

Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Fall 2024

Requirements

DED, SCI

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Course Description

Experimental Techniques in Physics I
In this lab course, we will learn the design and execution of experiments, the modeling of physical systems, and the analysis and presentation of data, at an intermediate level. Laboratory experiments will examine topics in classical mechanics, optics, quantum mechanics, and electricity and magnetism, each with an emphasis on the acquisition of data and computer-aided analysis of data. Students will also gain experience keeping a lab notebook and writing a lab report. (PHYS 0110 or PHYS 0114) (PHYS 0202 or PHYS 0218 concurrent or prior) 3 hrs. lect./3 hrs. lab

Terms Taught

Spring 2024, Spring 2025

Requirements

DED, SCI

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Course Description

Biomedical Imaging
Why do we use microscopes for thin tissue slices but x-rays for imaging through the entire body? In this course we will explore the physics of light and life through various biomedical imaging techniques. We will apply the fundamental imaging concepts of resolution, aberration, diffraction, scattering, the Fourier transform, and deconvolution. Most of the course will focus on biomedical optics, including standard optical microscopes, fluorescence imaging, spectroscopy, fiber-optic endoscopes, and laser-scanning microscopes. The latter part of the course will cover non-optical imaging, such as ultrasound, x-ray, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Students will gain hands-on experience through field trips to a local hospital and the use of the Cell Imaging Facility in McCardell Bicentennial Hall. (PHYS 0111; PHYS 0212 or MATH 0223) 3 hrs. lect.

Terms Taught

Spring 2022

Requirements

DED, SCI

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Course Description

Experimental Techniques in Physics
This course will cover the design and execution of experiments, and the analysis and presentation of data, at an advanced level. Laboratory experiments will be chosen to illustrate the use of electronic, mechanical, and optical instruments to investigate fundamental physical phenomena, such as the properties of atoms and nuclei and the nature of radiation. Skills in computer-based data analysis and presentation will be developed and emphasized. This course satisfies the College writing requirement. (PHYS 0111 concurrent or prior or PHYS 0216, and PHYS 0201 or PHYS 0214, and PHYS 0202 or PHYS 0218) 3 hrs. lect./3 hrs. lab/1 hr disc. (Approval required)

Terms Taught

Fall 2022, Fall 2024

Requirements

CW

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Course Description

Analytical Mechanics
An intermediate-level course in the kinematics and dynamics of particles and rigid body motion. The topics will include: analysis and application of Newton's law of mechanics; the concepts of work, energy, and power; energy conservation; momentum and momentum conservation; torque, angular momentum, and angular momentum conservation; oscillatory motion; and central-force motion. Lagrange's and Hamilton's formulations of classical mechanics will be introduced with emphasis placed on developing problem-solving strategies and techniques. (PHYS 0109 and PHYS 0212) 3 hrs. lect.

Terms Taught

Spring 2022

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Course Description

Independent Study and Special Topics
(Approval required)

Terms Taught

Fall 2020, Winter 2021, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Winter 2022, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Winter 2023, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Winter 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2024, Winter 2025, Spring 2025

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Course Description

Senior Project
Independent research project incorporating both written and oral presentations.

Terms Taught

Spring 2021, Spring 2023, Fall 2024, Spring 2025

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Course Description

Senior Thesis
For a student who has completed PHYS 0704 and, by agreement with his or her advisor, is continuing the senior project as a senior thesis. (PHYS 0704 and approval required)

Terms Taught

Fall 2020, Winter 2021, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Winter 2022, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Winter 2023, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Winter 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2024, Winter 2025, Spring 2025

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Course Description

Picture a Physicist
Picture a physicist. Whom do you see? In this course we will learn about the pioneering physics research done by women, African Americans, and members of other groups that are underrepresented in physics. Through in-class demonstrations and simulations, students will understand the many physics questions that would never have been answered without a diverse group of physicists working to solve them. Students will read about the lives and struggles of these physicists and will examine the hidden and overt obstacles that can hinder their persistence in the field. No prior knowledge of physics is necessary nor expected. (FYSE 1548 students require permission of the instructor.)

Terms Taught

Winter 2021, Winter 2024

Requirements

SCI, WTR

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Areas of Interest

My biomedical optics research involves looking deep within the body without making an incision. This is similar to ultrasound imaging, except I am interested in using light instead of sound. Light provides superior resolution, allowing you to see details on the cellular level. How can you see through the body? If you have ever looked at a flashlight pressed under your hand, you have witnessed light traveling through thick tissue. Biomedical imaging entails using lasers, nonlinear optics, and other clever tools to extract images from beneath the surface of biological tissue. With applications in cancer research, nanoparticle characterization, fiber optic endoscopes, and in vivo imaging, these efforts together will provide access to a wide array of unlabeled biological structures. By combining concepts in condensed matter physics, electromagnetism, quantum mechanics, optics, and biology, this area of research is ideal for undergraduate learning and an enrichment of their understanding of physics.

Publications

Select Recent Publications (with Middlebury College Student Co-Authors designated by *)

*M. E. Durst, S. Yurak, J. Moscatelli, I. Linhares, and R. Vargas, “Remote focusing in a temporal focusing microscope,” OSA Continuum vol. 4, no. 11, pp. 2757-2770, 2021. 

M. E. Durst. “Undergraduate seminar course on physicists from underrepresented groups.” Sixteenth Conference on Education and Training in Optics and Photonics: ETOP 2021, W4A.2, 2021.

M. E. Durst. “First-Year Seminar Course on the People of Medical Imaging.” Sixteenth Conference on Education and Training in Optics and Photonics: ETOP 2021, W4A.6, 2021.

M. E. Durst. “Undergraduate course on biomedical imaging at a liberal arts college.” Proc. SPIE 11143, Fifteenth Conference on Education and Training in Optics and Photonics: ETOP 2019, 111430R, 2019.

*M. E. Durst and A. Turcios. “Temporal Focusing with Remote Axial Scanning via Dispersion with an Electrically Tunable Lens,” Conference on Novel Techniques in Microscopy (Optical Society of America), paper NW1C.5, 2019.

*M. E. Durst, A. Turcios, C. Laurence, and E. Moskovitz, “Dispersion compensation by a liquid lens (DisCoBALL),” Applied Optics, Vol. 58, Iss. 2, pp. 428-435, 2019.