Structure, dynamics and mechanical properties in soft matter and biological systems

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I study soft condensed matter systems to learn how they keep their shape, support themselves under their own weight and resist deformation despite the fact that they are extremely soft. I do this using model micrometer-sized colloidal spheres suspended in a fluid into which we add an attraction whose range and strength we control. These spheres can make crystals or freeze into nonequilibrium solids - glasses or gels - with crowding or with the added attraction. Because the spheres are fluorescently labeled and move slowly enough to allow watching them in real time, we can study directly in real space using a confocal microscopy the structure and dynamics of these nonequilibrium solids. These are some of the most fascinating questions in condensed matter physics.My work transfers naturally to biology, as cells are constantly performing tasks and forever driven out of equilibrium. We apply our knowledge from soft condensed matter physics - how do things assemble? What sorts of mechanical properties, dynamics, or structures do soft materials have? - to biology to explore these questions about cellular structures. While biologists have clarified qualitatively what happens when a cytoskeleton - the structure that gives cells their shapes - assembles and disassembles, little is known of the forces involved. In collaborations with Anatomy and Cell Biology professor Craig Mondato, I am exploring the mechanics of cellular structures, focusing on the role of the fibres that make up the cytoskeleton. And as cancer chemotherapies target these fibres in malignant cells, this research could have important therapeutic consequences.