CAREER:Emergent properties in synthetic active matter: self-organization and synchronization

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Non technical abstractIn Nature, biological systems have evolved to operate under variable conditions with high fidelity and enviable ability to tune and self-assemble. For example, cells divide or differentiate and muscles contract. This wealth of phenomena is possible because living systems consume energy as a token to pay the toll to achieve those emergent behaviors. The aim of this CAREER project is to provide a comprehensive picture of the key mechanisms at stake. To this end, the research team will use a bottom-up approach with a variety of experiments using artificial and microscopic building blocks, which consume energy. The ultimate goal is to design novel, smart and active materials and bring the biological organization to the materials world. The cutting-edge research program mutually integrates with the development of a soft matter curriculum for undergraduate and graduate students. Excellence in education is transverse and relies on two strategic axes: (i) an outreach effort using the natural appeal of "soft" materials, e.g. splashing ketchup or cornstarch at science fairs or getting students into the lab, and (ii) a science "without walls" components with a bi-annual seminar.Technical abstractThe aim of this five-year CAREER program is to harness the out-of-equilibrium nature of synthetic colloidal active matter to explore its physical principles and create novel materials with advanced functionalities. It is an experiment-driven proposal, rooted in fundamental questions about the mechanisms of emergent phenomena in nature, here addressed with purely synthetic components. It focuses on self-organization and synchronization with different realization of self-propelled particles using microfluidics, colloid science and microscopy techniques. The thrust of this project is the wealth of original experiments, which complement each other to provide a comprehensive picture of the key mechanisms required for the emergence of complexity in non- equilibrium systems. This approach will pioneer developments beyond soft matter physics and explore uncharted fields of out-of-equilibrium physics from self-organization to motility in biology. The creation of novel materials with cutting-edge functionalities will have an impact in material science, nano- and bioengineering.