SUNMONTUEWEDTHUFRISAT
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Events for December
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AME Seminar
Wed, Dec 04, 2024 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Moumita Das, Rochester Institute of Technology
Talk Title: Rigidity and Resilience of Network-like Soft Materials: Insights from Biopolymer Networks and Circadian Colloids
Abstract: Living systems exhibit unique emergent properties such as self-assembly, rigidity, resilience, and robustness. In this talk, I will present results from projects that underscore the importance of understanding these collective properties in network-like soft materials and help to address key questions in the rational design of biomimetic soft materials: Can we engineer composite soft matter to display life-like emergent properties? How can we enhance the tunability and control of such soft matter systems? And, is it feasible to activate synthetic soft materials using biological processes? I will begin by examining potential physical mechanisms that underlie robust and resilient mechanical properties in biopolymer networks in cells and tissues. Utilizing rigidity percolation theory, we explore how composite and heterogeneous composition influence cell and tissue mechanics and suggest design principles for artificial constructs with tunable and robust mechanics. Following this, I will discuss the formation and manipulation of colloidal networks using functionalized clock proteins—proteins that regulate biological clocks—to engineer robust self-assembly kinetics and material properties in colloidal systems. Leveraging such protein-based reaction networks allows us to endow synthetic systems with life-like properties. Our findings demonstrate how understanding the emergent structure-function properties in biological and bio-hybrid systems can support the development of biomimetic materials that not only mirror the robustness and adaptability of living systems but also offer enhanced control over their physical properties and functions.
Biography: Moumita Das is a Professor of Physics at the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York, and a Fellow of the American Physical Society. Das received her PhD from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, and did postdoctoral research at Harvard University, University of California Los Angeles, and Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, before joining RIT as faculty in 2012. Her research focuses on the interplay of statistical physics, mechanics, and geometry in systems with network-like structures such as the cytoskeleton of cells, the extracellular matrix of soft tissues. Her group uses analytical and computational methods to study their emergent properties and dynamics, aiming to understand the biophysical rules of life and replicate these in synthetic biology systems with experimental collaborators. Her work is supported by awards from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Keck Foundation, the Moore Foundation, and the Research Corporation. Das also currently serves on the American Physical Society's Committee for the Status of Women in Physics.
Host: AME Department
More Info: https://ame.usc.edu/seminars/
Webcast: https://usc.zoom.us/j/96060458816?pwd=8LmoG2q6vBCQubqqWpcizd2F1bxqsH.1Location: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - 202
WebCast Link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/96060458816?pwd=8LmoG2q6vBCQubqqWpcizd2F1bxqsH.1
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Tessa Yao
Event Link: https://ame.usc.edu/seminars/
