Description:

Recent advances in DNA nanotechnology, protein engineering, and polymer chemistry allow for the design of material systems where specific local interactions can be programmed with high precision. However, the full consequences of such controllable interactions is not understood, especially regarding our physical understanding of networks and gels. In this talk, I will discuss insight from simple soft matter systems that help bridge this gap. I will begin by describing a new principle of disordered networks where non-trivial elastic properties emerge by removing a small fraction of bonds. I will then apply this, both directly and indirectly, to understand two cases where non-trivial biological-like functionality can be obtained from controlled binding dynamics. This work sets the stage for understanding and developing physical processes where a material’s internal structure is internally regulated to affect it’s properties and behavior.

Dr. Carl Goodrich, School of Engineering and Applied Science, Harvard University

Keywords: Physics, Astronomy, Complex Systems