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SUMMARY:Living Droplets Get to Work - Eric Dufresne\, ETH Zurich
DTSTART:20221202T160000Z
DTEND:20221202T170000Z
UID:TALK182966@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Prof. Jerome Neufeld
DESCRIPTION:Droplets of simple liquids\, like oil and water\, are essentia
 l engineering fluids.  Classically\, we use droplets to deliver material\,
  transport heat\, and control chemical reactions. Thanks to microfluidic t
 echnology\, a wealth of new applications has emerged in recent years.  \n\
 nEvolution\, however\, beat us to it. For more than a billion years\, livi
 ng cells have been producing microscopic droplets in the cytoplasm.  These
  droplets have very different chemical compositions and mechanical propert
 ies than the simple liquids we encounter daily.  They are thought to play 
 an essential role in organizing chemical reactions in the cytoplasm.  \n\n
 Using some simplified in vitro systems\, I will highlight the essential ph
 ysical properties of such fluids.  After describing key aspects of their b
 ulk and interfacial thermodynamics\, I will demonstrate three mechanisms t
 hat enable these droplets to do useful mechanical work.  Quasistatically\,
   droplets’ interfacial tension can deform other compliant objects.  Nea
 r equilibrium\, the free energy of condensation can be harnessed to remode
 l the surrounding matrix.  If that matrix is elastic\, this feeds back int
 o the droplet’s phase behavior in some unexpected ways.  When driven far
  from equilibrium by localized chemical reactions\, droplets display stunn
 ing fluid motion\, characterized by persistent cell-like motility and dire
 cted motion along chemical gradients.
LOCATION:MR2\, Centre for Mathematical Sciences\, Wilberforce Road\, Cambr
 idge
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