Title: Microscopic Insights into the Mechanics of Granular Materials Abstract: The widespread occurrence of granular materials in nature (like soil and beach sand) and industries (such as cement and pharmaceuticals) has spurred extensive research into their mechanical behavior. Key phenomena, such as stress saturation with depth, rate-independent shear stress, and large stress fluctuations, are well documented. Our study, based on…
Title: Connecting Molecules and Forces with Rings and Loops Abstract: Animal cell shape is dictated by the actomyosin cytoskeleton, including the membrane-apposed cortex. The molecular parts list of the cortex is well-characterized, and included the dynamic F-actin polymers, myosin family motor proteins, and myriad non-motor crosslinkers that scaffold the cytoskeleton, the membrane, and regulatory proteins.…
Title:Â Photothermal Heating with Nanoparticles: Enhancing Electrical Conductivity in Composites and Water Vapor Formation in Hydrogels Abstract: Photothermal heating is the conversion of light into heat. When nanoparticles are embedded in materials, we are able to precisely control localized heating in a sample using photothermal heating of the nanoparticles. We use this heating in two areas…
Title and abstract details are forthcoming.
Title: Understanding the emergence of microbial collective behaviors Abstract: Groups of cells of all kinds work together as part of multicellular behaviors ranging from collective migration to development. These behaviors are coordinated at the level of single cells, where information about other cells and the environment are encoded in intracellular signaling dynamics that then drive…
Title: Modeling, analysis, and control of droplet dynamics Abstract: Thin liquid films flowing down vertical fibers spontaneously exhibit complex interfacial dynamics, leading to irregular wavy patterns and traveling liquid droplets.…
Title: Controlling crystal growth using polyelectrolytes Abstract: In one form or another, polyelectrolyte additives are employed to control the formation of ionic crystals in a variety of contexts. As one example, engineers employ them as antiscalants to prevent the buildup of minerals on the interior of pipes. In a drastically different setting -- the microenvironment…
Title: Decoding Intracellular Organization by Biomolecular Condensation Abstract: The precise organization of biochemical functions in time and space is essential for cellular life. Intracellular organization is facilitated by the division of biomolecules into subcellular organelles. While classical organelles employ a lipid bilayer membrane to separate materials from the surrounding environment, an emerging class of organelles…
Title: Hyperuniformity of Disordered Network Metamaterials Derived from Hyperuniform Point Patterns Abstract: Disordered hyperuniform two-phase heterogeneous materials are those whose density fluctuations are anomalously suppressed at large length scales compared to standard disordered materials. Such hyperuniform materials are found to possess unique and desirable transport and elastic properties that are isotropic and robust to defects.…
Title: From soft microparticle assemblies to tissue scaffolds Abstract: Particle assemblies form interconnected pockets of empty space that are hot spots for activity in many applications and natural phenomenon that deal with particulate matter. In my lab we explore the use of interlinked soft microparticle assemblies as scaffolds for cell culture in vitro and to…