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SUMMARY:Soft Matter Physics of Cells - Professor Athene Donald (Department
  of Physics\, Cambridge)
DTSTART:20061116T144500Z
DTEND:20061116T151500Z
UID:TALK5270@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Duncan Simpson
DESCRIPTION:Soft matter physics deals with systems in which the thermal en
 ergy is comparable with interaction energies and the energies giving rise 
 to distortion.  This means  that Brownian motion and fluctuations are very
  important.  Cells certainly fit this description\, and their ability to a
 lter their shape is crucial to our ability to survive.  However\, the desc
 ription also applies to the cell contents\, a complex mix of many polymeri
 c components packed at rather high density.  Despite this complexity\, man
 y  of the standard tools of soft matter physics  – both  experimental an
 d theoretical – can be applied to help analyse and characterise the stru
 cture of living matter.  In this talk I will concentrate on two very diffe
 rent approaches: environmental scanning electron microscopy as a probe of 
 hydrated systems without the need for the standard lengthy sample preparat
 ion routes conventionally applied\; and particle tracking to explore local
  variations in microrheology and environment within the cell contents. 
LOCATION:Kaetsu Centre\, New Hall
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