Theory for structure and dynamics of self-assembled soft materials

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My group investigates the interplay between structure and dynamics in soft materials, with a focus on polymeric and biological materials. We use a combination of sophisticated analytical methods and high-performance computing to tackle problems in this multidisciplinary environment. The structure-dynamics relationship in soft and biological materials is an exciting and rich topic for theoretical and experimental study, with a diverse set of challenging problems. For example, there is an ongoing, world-wide effort to investigate block copolymers as structural templates for nanolithography, and for the production of ordered arrays of metallic nano-dots and nano-wires. These templates hold the promise of shrinking microelectronic circuits to the 10 nm scale, below that accessible to traditional photolithography. In such applications, when processing these materials it is important to understand how long it takes structures to self-assemble. My first research topic addresses the questions: What is the relation between this microstructure and the dynamics? What are the kinetic pathways for, and barriers to, the formation of a given structure? My second topical area asks: How do we formulate a non-equilibrium theory to answer these questions? The remainder of the proposal focuses on the role of self-assembly, dynamics and pattern formation in biology, with a specific aim to develop a fundamental understanding of antimicrobial strategies that involve peptide self-assembly. Understanding the dynamics of soft materials at a quantitative level through the development and extension of the methods of non-equilibrium statistical mechanics is my long-term goal. This proposal involves both the development of new computational techniques and the physical understanding of novel antimicrobial agents, nano-lithographic templates and electrophoretic devices.