Soft and Living Matter at Surfaces and Interfaces

在过去的十年里，我们已经能够建立一个具有国际竞争力的实验室来研究表面和界面上的软物质和活物质。软材料的物理学不同于硬物质，因为较弱的分子间键导致对外部应力的大响应。我们主要研究聚合物材料，但也研究线虫(一种小型线虫)、细菌、活细胞和软胶体系统。从根本上了解材料的性质对于新技术的发展至关重要。这些材料的一个令人惊讶的方面是，在较小的长度范围内，如薄膜或涂层，这些材料的性质可能与块体系统的性质有很大不同。这种差异可能是分子受到限制的结果，也可能是因为界面在较小的系统中发挥更大的作用。在保持在帮助我们建立国际存在的领域的重大活动的同时，近年来我们的研究进入了新的方向。这些措施包括在生物和软物质的界面上做出更大的努力，以及对聚合物以外的复杂流体的重视。我们在软物质和生物物质方面的未来研究方向可以概括为四个广泛和重叠的领域。1)生物物理学：微型游泳者和水泡。2)界面上的复杂流体：弹性毛细管和软胶体；3)微/纳米尺度上的流体：纳米流变学、限制、玻璃化转变。4)自组装和图案化。 研究团队研究的广泛问题在很大程度上是某种机会主义研究方法的结果。简单地说，我们经常偶然发现有趣的弯路，这些弯路导致了令人兴奋的研究。随着时间的推移，一些转移方向已经发展成为完全确立的研究方向。尽管这些项目多种多样，但它们都有一个共同的主题，即小尺度、小表面和小界面，有着共同的物理基础。使用的主要实验工具集中在表面的表征、成像和力测量。我们的工作正处于令人兴奋的过渡阶段，工具和技术开辟了令人振奋的方向。虽然我们对科学的贡献将继续取得成功，但一些更雄心勃勃和令人兴奋的研究，例如囊泡融合、集体运动、纳米流变学和弹性毛细管，可能具有特别重要的意义。

Over the past decade we have been able to establish an internationally competitive laboratory to study soft and living matter at surfaces and interfaces. The physics of soft materials is distinct from hard matter as the weaker intermolecular bonds result in a large response to external stresses. We study mainly polymeric materials, but also C. elegans (a small nematode), bacteria, living cells and soft-colloidal systems. Understanding material properties at a fundamental level is crucial to the development of new technologies. A surprising aspect of these materials is that on small length scales, like in thin films or coatings, these materials can have properties that differ vastly from those of bulk systems. The differences can be the result of molecules being confined or because the interface plays a greater role in smaller systems. While retaining significant activity in the areas that have helped us to establish an international presence, in recent years our research has moved into new directions. These include greater efforts at the interface of biology and soft matter, as well as a bourgeoning emphasis on complex fluids beyond polymeric. The future direction of our research in soft and living matter can be summarized under four broad and overlapping areas. 1) Biophysics: micro-swimmers and vesicles. 2) Complex fluids at interfaces: elastocapillarity and soft colloids 3) Fluids on the micro/nanoscale: nanorheology, confinement, the glass transition. 4) Self assembly and patterning. The broad range of problems studied in the research team is largely the result of a somewhat opportunistic approach to research. Simply stated, we often stumble upon interesting detours that have resulted in exciting research. Over time some diversions have developed into fully established research directions. Though the projects are diverse, they share a common theme of small length scales, surfaces, and interfaces, with a common physical foundation. The main experimental tools used focus on characterization of surfaces, imaging, and force measurement. Our work is at an exciting transition and the tools and techniques have opened up directions that are invigorating. While we will have continued success in our contributions to science, some of the more ambitious and exciting studies, for example vesicle fusion, collective motion, nanorheology and elastocapillarity, have the potential to be of exceptional importance.