Dynamics of active interfaces
| When |
Jun 09, 2023
from 11:00 to 12:00 |
|---|---|
| Where | R116 |
| Attendees |
Itamar Kolvin |
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Biological interfaces are continuously perturbed by energy-consuming molecules. Active stresses at interfaces make cells crawl, change shape, and reorganize their content. How should we understand the dynamics of active interfaces? I will present experiments that couple active stresses to soft interfaces. Active liquid-liquid interfaces are formed by merging molecular motors and their associated biofilaments with water-soluble phase-separating polymers. Consequently, interfaces support wave propagation without inertia, droplets undergo spontaneous fission, and fluids climb vertical walls. I will also show how active stresses mold crosslinked actin filament bundles into dynamic solid membranes. Giant bending fluctuations endow membranes with soft stretching degrees of freedom. For membranes that are a few millimeters in width, system-size periodic oscillations appear that are coupled to unidirectional flow waves. Active stress is thus an emerging paradigm for the assembly and dynamics of matter.