Active Matter: The Cell From a Physics Perspective

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Speaker(s): Janet Y. Sheung

The cells inside our bodies are inherently non-equilibrium materials, able to dynamically change their mechanical properties in response to environmental demands. Scientists have hoped to better understand this kind of active matter for a long time, not simply for the potential advances to medical treatments but also to open the door to the design of futuristic biomimetic materials. In this talk I will describe how my students and I combine purified cell components in the lab to create toy model (very) minimal cells, and how we use a custom microscope equipped with optical tweezers to investigate the real-time restructuring and force response of these materials. Our results show that constant energy consumption allows the cell to switch between solid-like and liquid-like behavior. Lastly, I will share current projects in my lab building on this work.

Colloquium

Junior and senior physics majors attend our biweekly colloquium series, held on Tuesday afternoons at 4:30 p.m. in Shanahan B460. The talks are open to all students and to the public, and are frequently attended by scientists from the other Claremont Colleges, Cal Poly Pomona, and others. The series features speakers from a broad range of institutions and fields of physics.