Title: Bioinspired: Learning new Physics from Biology.

Abstract: The cell is a complex autonomous machine taking in information, performing
computations, and responding to the environment. Many of the internal structures and
architecture is transient and created through active processes. Recent advances in
active matter physics with biological elements are opening new insights into the physics
behind how cellular organizations are generated, maintained, and destroyed. I will
present two recent stories on different topics at the interface between biological and soft
matter physics. The first will discuss self-organization of microtubules in the presence of
“weakly interacting” crosslinkers. The second will discuss possible mechanisms for the
cell to mix itself using self-propelled single molecule enzymes. These works illustrate
the importance of the fundamental physics to build structures and propel matter inside
living cells while informing on new physics we can learn from biological elements and
materials.

Host: Mary Elting