Collective Dynamics of Active Matter: from Self-Propelled Particles to Migrating Cell Layers

Professor M. Cristina Marchetti (hosted by Nussinov), Physics Department, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York
March 5, 2012 at 4:00 pm
241 Compton
Event Description 

Bacterial suspensions, extracts of cytoskeletal filaments and motor proteins, and cell colonies are examples of assemblies of interacting self-driven units that form a new type of active soft matter with intriguing collective behavior. In this talk I will discuss the theoretical modeling of active systems. Specific examples will include bacterial swarming and the collective migration of confluent layers of epithelial cells that have been shown to exhibit glassy dynamics at high density.

Coffee: 3:45 pm, 241 Compton