News: 2024

The Irvine group created a novel active matter system that can self propel, flock, and form a chiral active phase. Their publication in Nature Physics explains how a suspension of magnetic particles driven to spin at intermediate Reynolds numbers with a rotating magnetic field was able to behave as a synthetic active system.

The Vitelli group introduced a method of controlling the behavior of turbulence in a fluid. Their Nature article shows that odd viscosity, a type of viscosity which does not dissipate energy, causes turbulence in odd fluids to congregate into multiple vortices of roughly equal size.

The Dinner Group described a new multi-stage process for the migration of a membrane protein's voltage sensor across the membrane. Their publication in Nature Communications discusses how tracking a few amino acids through their models revealed several distinct stages of curling and shifting.

The Tian group invented a new pacemaker technology that translates light into heartbeats using membranes woven with silicon wafers. Their paper in Nature describes how they designed the nanoporous wafers to convert light into precise voltage pulses that stimulate only the necessary muscles.

The annual Physics With A Bang MRSEC open house welcomed 400 visitors of all ages on Dec. 9 to get them excited about science. Attendees explored a hall of interactive demonstrations, toured lab spaces, and watched Heinrich Jaeger and Sidney Nagel’s double act of dazzling science presentations.

The Vitelli and Gardel groups created new models for predicting cell traction forces. Their paper in Cell details how trained neural networks could predict the forces created by complex biochemistry using images of just fluorescent zyxin proteins.

The Jaeger group discovered a new method of observing the behavior of non-Newtonian fluids. Their paper in PNAS shows how measuring the conductance of fluids made with piezoelectric nanoparticles can reveal the interactions of the particles inside.

The Mazziotti group introduced a modified version of density field theory that can better describe molecular electronic behavior. Their publication in Physical Review Letters describes how they integrated two-electron reduced matrix theory to account for interactions between electrons.

The Murugan group found that a DNA system was capable of pattern recognition through the process of self-assembly. Their paper in Nature suggests this may be a pathway for decision-making in biological systems.

The Tian group invented granular hydrogels, a potent new medical technology. Their Nature Chemical Engineering publication describes how they modified hydrogel patch materials to release cell-sized granules that can deliver treatment directly to the cells.

The Voth group discovered how the HIV-1 virus enters the nucleus: its cone-shaped capsid shell allows it to pass through nuclear pores. Their work in PNAS details how a cone-shaped capsid not only requires less energy to enter the nucleus but also lends entropic elasticity.