Abstract: The spontaneous emergence of collective flows is a generic property of active fluids and often leads to chaotic flow patterns characterized by swirls, jets, and topological disclinations in their orientation field. I will first discuss two examples of these collective features helping us understand biological processes: (i) to explain the tortoise & hare story in bacterial competition: […]
Active Matter Seminar Speaker: Shenshen Wang, UCLA Title: Limit and potential of adaptive immunity Abstract: The adaptive immune system is able to learn from past experiences to better fit an unforeseen future. This is made possible by a diverse and dynamic repertoire of cells expressing unique antigen receptors and capable of rapid Darwinian evolution within an individual. However, […]
Active Matter Seminar Speaker: Sharad Ramanathan, Harvard Title: Attempts at understanding human axial elongation and patterning Abstract: Some of the most dramatic events during human development is the axial elongation of the embryo with concomitant changes in the geometry and composition of the underlying tissues. The posterior part of the embryo gives rise to the spinal cord, […]
Active Matter Seminar Speaker: Siavash Monfared, Niels Bohr Institute, Copenhagen Title: Force transmission informs the collective behavior of active cell layers Abstract: Collective cell migration drives numerous physiological processes such as tissue morphogenesis, wound healing, tumor progression and cancer invasion. However, how the interplay of mechanical interactions and the modes of collective self-organization among cells informs […]
Active Matter Seminar Speaker: Max Prigozhin (Harvard) Title: Dynamic and multicolor electron microscopy Abstract: My lab is developing biophysical methods to achieve multicolor and dynamic biological imaging at the molecular scale. Our approach to capturing the dynamics of cellular processes involves cryo-vitrifying samples after known time delays following stimulation using custom cryo- plunging and high-pressure freezing […]
Active Matter Seminar Speaker: Julien Tailleur (MIT) Title: Self-organization of motile cells by quorum-sensing or chemotactic interactions Abstract: Equilibrium statistical mechanics tells us how to control the self-assembly of passive materials by tuning the competition between energy and entropy to achieve desired states of organization. Out of equilibrium, no such principles apply and self-organization principles are […]
Active Matter Seminar Speaker: Amin Doostmohammadi, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen Title: Interacting Active Matter Abstract: I will focus on the interaction between different active matter systems. In particular, I will describe recent experimental and modeling results that reveal how interaction forces between adhesive cells generate activity in the cell layer and lead to a […]
Active Matter Seminar Speaker: Jörn Dunkel, MIT Title: Towards programmable living materials and quantitative models of active matter Abstract: Over the last two decades, major progress has been made in understanding the self-organization principles of active matter. A wide variety of experimental model systems, from self-driven colloids to active elastic materials, has been established, and an extensive […]
Active Matter Seminar Speaker: Jonathan Bauermann, Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems Title: Active chemical reactions in phase-separating systems Abstract: Motivated by the existence of membrane-less compartments in the chemically active environment of living cells, I will discuss the dynamics of droplets in the presence of active chemical reactions. Therefore, I […]
Active Matter Seminar Speaker: Mark Bowick, Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, UCSB Title: The Role of Orientational Order in Development Abstract: Morphogenesis, the process through which genes generate form, establishes tissue scale order as a template for constructing the complex shapes of the body plan. The extensive growth required to build these ordered substrates is fueled […]
Active Matter Seminar Speaker: Shane McInally, Brandeis Title: Control of actin cable length by decelerated growth and network geometry Abstract: The sizes of many subcellular structures are coordinated with cell size to ensure that these structures meet the functional demands of the cell. In eukaryotic cells, these subcellular structures are often membrane-bound organelles, whose volume is […]
Active Matter Seminar Speaker: Mehran Kardar, MIT Title: Competition at the front of expanding populations Abstract: When competing species grow into new territory, the population is dominated by descendants of successful ancestors at the expansion front. Successful ancestry depends on the reproductive advantage (fitness), as well as ability and opportunity to colonize new domains. (1) Based […]