CAREER: A Research and Teaching Program in Complex Fluids Dynamics

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9623972 Wirtz The main research objective of this CAREER grant is to establish a prominent program with a focus on the dynamics of complex fluids and macromolecules. Novel experimental, numerical, and theoretical methods are being developed to investigate the structure and dynamics of complex fluids and macromolecular assemblies These experimental methods involve the measurement of the structural and rheological properties of either individual aggregates or molecules (microscopy) or of an ensemble of colloids/macromolecules (scattering and rheology). These experimental methods include (i) magnetic tweezers to micro-manipulate individual biological macromolecules such as DNA and proteins in the bulk and near interfaces, (ii) high-resolution fluorescence microcopy to image the Brownian motion of individual biological macromolecules, vesicles, and colloidal aggregates (iii) diffusive wave spectroscopy to probe the collective dynamics and the quiescent micro-rheology of concentrated colloidal suspensions, microemulsions, and polymer solutions. To analyze these scattering and microscopy experiments, Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics simulations, as well as stochastic equations of motion are being developed to describe the non-equilibrium dynamics of complex fluids and macromolecules in external force fields. %%% This research will provide a direct test of theories of gel electrophoresis and will help improve current theories of gene therapy and polymer-based drug-delivery systems. These new tools will also offer a direct way to probe conformational and transport-properties changes induced by DNA-DNA, protein-DNA, and protein-protein interactions, which have implications on the design, development, and testing of new drugs. ***