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Soft Condensed Matter Physics

Gordon Research Conference

Bio-Soft Matter: Dynamical and Structural Complexity

August 18 - 23, 2013
Chairs and
Vice Chairs and
Colby-Sawyer College
541 Main Street
New London, New Hampshire, United States
 Venue and Travel Information

Conference Description

This Gordon Conference focuses on the emerging properties of complex soft matter systems. We are interested in spontaneous self organization processes and the resulting physical properties of soft matter systems spanning a broad range from colloids to cell biological systems. We explore how the fundamental principles of physics that are evident in soft matter systems also can be applied in biological systems. Reciprocally, we will address how bio-inspired approaches can be applied to construct and understand novel materials for various applications. The Conference will bring together investigators who are at the cutting edge of their field, and it will provide opportunities for junior scientists and graduate students to present their work in poster format as well as exchange ideas with leaders in the field. We see this GRC as a place to bring together soft matter and statistical physicists, biophysicists, physical chemists, and applied mathematicians.

Related Meeting

This GRC will be held in conjunction with the "Soft Condensed Matter Physics" Gordon Research Seminar (GRS). Those interested in attending both meetings must submit an application for the GRS in addition to an application for the GRC. Refer to the associated GRS program page for more information.

Conference Program

SUNDAY
2:00 pm - 9:00 pmArrival and Check-in
6:00 pmDinner
7:30 pm - 7:40 pmWelcome / Introductory Comments by GRC Site Staff
7:40 pm - 9:30 pmJamming in Flows
Discussion Leader: Claus Heussinger (University of Göttingen)
7:40 pm - 8:20 pmHeinrich Jäger (University of Chicago)
"Dynamic Jamming and Propagating Jamming Fronts"
8:20 pm - 8:35 pmDiscussion
8:35 pm - 9:15 pmMathieu Wyart (New York University)
"Geometric approach to jamming and suspension flows"
9:15 pm - 9:30 pmDiscussion
MONDAY
7:30 am - 8:30 amBreakfast
9:00 am - 12:30 pmSoft Materials
Discussion Leader: Thomas Mason (University of California, L.A.)
9:00 am - 9:40 amDave Weitz (Harvard University)
"Crystallization and Melting of Charged Colloids in Non-Aqueous Fluids"
9:40 am - 10:00 amDiscussion
10:00 amCoffee Break
10:30 am - 11:10 amTony Dinsmore (University of Massachusetts Amherst)
"Fluid membranes and proteins: binding and bending under tension"
11:10 am - 11:30 amDiscussion
11:30 am - 12:10 pmEran Sharon (The Hebrew University of Jerusalem)
"Frustrated Helical Ribbons - from Responsive Elastic Sheets to Self Assembled Macromolecules"
12:10 pm - 12:30 pmDiscussion
12:30 pmLunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pmFree Time
4:00 pm - 6:00 pmPoster Session I
6:00 pmDinner
7:30 pm - 9:30 pmActive Cytoskeletal Systems
Discussion Leader: Jennifer Ross (University of Massachusetts Amherst)
7:30 pm - 8:10 pmZvonimir Dogic (Brandeis University)
"From Extensile Bundles to Active Gels, Liquid Crystals, Emulsions and Vesicles"
8:10 pm - 8:30 pmDiscussion
8:30 pm - 9:10 pmMargaret Gardel (University of Chicago)
"Mechanics of Contractile Cellular Matter"
9:10 pm - 9:30 pmDiscussion
TUESDAY
7:30 am - 8:30 amBreakfast
9:00 am - 12:30 pmPrinciples of Self Organization
Discussion Leader: Erwin Frey (University of Munich LMU)
9:00 am - 9:40 amMichael Brenner (Harvard University)
"Colloidal Self-Assembly and Self-Replication"
9:40 am - 10:00 amDiscussion
10:00 amGroup Photo / Coffee Break
10:30 am - 11:10 amJulia Yeomans (Oxford University)
"Stirring by Microswimmers"
11:10 am - 11:30 amDiscussion
11:30 am - 12:10 pmMasaki Sano (University of Tokyo)
"Collective Dynamics of Active Colloids"
12:10 pm - 12:30 pmDiscussion
12:30 pmLunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pmFree Time
4:00 pm - 6:00 pmPoster Session I (continued)
6:00 pmDinner
7:30 pm - 9:30 pmLiving Soft Matter
Discussion Leader: Fred MacKintosh (University of Amsterdam)
7:30 pm - 8:10 pmStefan Grill (University of Dresden)
"Morphogenetic Functions of Actomyosin"
8:10 pm - 8:30 pmDiscussion
8:30 pm - 9:10 pmCliff Brangwynne (Princeton University)
"Cytoplasmic Phase Transitions, Gravity, and Cell Size"
9:10 pm - 9:30 pmDiscussion
WEDNESDAY
7:30 am - 8:30 amBreakfast
9:00 am - 12:30 pmComplex Interfaces
Discussion Leader: Dave Pine (New York University)
9:00 am - 9:40 amEric Dufresne (Yale University)
"The Surface Tension of Soft Solids"
9:40 am - 10:00 amDiscussion
10:00 amCoffee Break
10:30 am - 11:10 amKathleen Stebe (University of Pennsylvania)
"Directed Assembly at Fluid Interfaces"
11:10 am - 11:30 amDiscussion
11:30 am - 12:10 pmClemens Bechinger (University of Stuttgart)
"Colloidal Monolayers Driven across Periodic and Quasiperiodic Surfaces"
12:10 pm - 12:30 pmDiscussion
12:30 pmLunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pmFree Time
4:00 pm - 6:00 pmPoster Session II
6:00 pmDinner
7:00 pm - 7:30 pmBusiness Meeting
Nominations for the next Vice Chair; Fill out Conference Evaluation Forms; Discuss future Site & Scheduling preferences; Election of the next Vice Chair
7:30 pm - 9:30 pmOutreach
Discussion Leader: Alex Levine (University of California, L.A.)
7:30 pm - 8:10 pmGerard Wong (University of California, L.A.)
"Bacteria, Antimicrobials, and Soft Matter Physics"
8:10 pm - 8:30 pmDiscussion
8:30 pm - 9:10 pmItai Cohen (Cornell University)
"Flight of the Fruit Fly"
9:10 pm - 9:30 pmDiscussion
THURSDAY
7:30 am - 8:30 amBreakfast
9:00 am - 11:30 amNew Materials and Applications
Discussion Leader: Mireille Claessens (University of Twente)
9:00 am - 9:40 amLyderic Bouquet (University of Lyon)
"Nanofluidic Transport in Single Nanochannels: Application to Osmotic Energy Harvesting"
9:40 am - 10:00 amDiscussion
10:00 amCoffee Break
10:30 am - 11:10 amFrancois Tournilhac (ESPCI, Paris)
"Vitrimers, a New Class of Organic Materials"
11:10 am - 11:30 amDiscussion
11:30 am - 12:30 pmTissue Dynamics
Discussion Leader: Ulrich Schwarz (University of Heidelberg)
11:30 am - 12:10 pmFrancoise Brochard (Institut Curie, Paris)
"Collective Migration of Multicellular Aggregates Induced by Chemical or Rigidity Gradient, and Spontaneous"
12:10 pm - 12:30 pmDiscussion
12:30 pmLunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pmFree Time
4:00 pm - 6:00 pmPoster Session II (continued)
6:00 pmDinner
7:30 pm - 8:30 pmTissue Dynamics (continued)
Discussion Leader: Ulrich Schwarz (University of Heidelberg)
7:30 pm - 8:10 pmXavier Trepat (University of Barcelona)
"Forces, Waves, and Collective Dynamics of Living Tissues"
8:10 pm - 8:30 pmDiscussion
8:30 pm - 9:30 pmBest Poster Presentations
8:30 pm - 8:40 pmTBA
8:40 pm - 8:45 pmDiscussion
8:45 pm - 8:55 pmTBA
8:55 pm - 9:00 pmDiscussion
9:00 pm - 9:10 pmTBA
9:10 pm - 9:15 pmDiscussion
9:15 pm - 9:25 pmTBA
9:25 pm - 9:30 pmDiscussion
FRIDAY
7:30 am - 8:30 amBreakfast
9:00 amDeparture

Contributors

Conference Links

Conference History Soft Condensed Matter Physics (GRS)
Additional Fee Info

Chemistry and Physics of Liquids
August 3 - 8, 2025
Self-Assembly and Supramolecular Chemistry
May 11 - 16, 2025
Soft Condensed Matter Physics (GRS)
August 9 - 10, 2025


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