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Active particle systems are a class of non-equilibrium systems composed of self-propelled Brownian particles; through interactions between particles within the system, a variety of intriguing collective behaviors can emerge. Based on…
Two-dimensional shape-morphing networks are common in biological systems and have garnered attention due to their nontrivial physical properties that emanate from their cellular nature. Here, we present the fabrication and characterization…
Pattern-forming metamaterials feature microstructures specifically designed to change the material's macroscopic properties due to internal instabilities. These can be triggered either by mechanical deformation or, in the case of active…
Cytoskeletal networks can repair defects to maintain structural integrity. However, the mechanisms and dynamics of defect merging remain poorly understood. Here we report a geometry-tunable merging mechanism in microtubule-motor networks…
Interconnected ensembles of biological entities are perhaps some of the most complex systems that modern science has encountered so far. In particular, scientists have concentrated on understanding how the complexity of the interacting…
We propose a mechanism to control the formation of stable obstructions in two-dimensional micro-channels of variable sections taking advantage of the peculiar clustering property of active systems. Under the activation of the…
In biological systems, molecular-scale forces and motions are pivotal for enabling processes like motility, shape change, and replication. These forces and motions are organized, amplified, and transmitted across macroscopic scales by…
We consider a three-dimensional network of aqueous droplets joined by single lipid bilayers to form a cohesive, tissue-like material. The droplets in these networks can be programmed to have distinct osmolarities so that osmotic gradients…
Two different types of directed networks are investigated, transcriptional regulation networks and neural networks. The directed network structure are studied and also shown to reflect the different processes taking place on the networks.…
Controlling the flow and routing of data is a fundamental problem in many distributed networks, including transportation systems, integrated circuits, and the Internet. In the brain, synaptic plasticity rules have been discovered that…
Semiflexible biopolymer networks are commonly found in biological systems, from the cytoskeleton of cells to the extracellular matrix. Such networks often naturally occur as composites, in which various components interact to generate rich…
Each element in tensioned structural networks -- such as tensegrity, architectural fabrics, or medical braces/meshes -- requires a specific tension level to achieve and maintain the desired shape, stability, and compliance. These structures…
Viewed under a fluorescence microscope, the actomyosin cytoskeleton presents vivid streaks of lines together with persistent oscillatory waves. Using an active hydrodynamic approach, we show how a uniform distribution of single or mixture…
Biological systems exhibit large-scale self-organized dynamics and structures which enable organisms to perform the functions of life. The field of active matter strives to develop and understand microscopically-driven nonequilibrium…
Experiments with networks of discrete reactive bistable electrochemical elements organized in regular and nonregular tree networks are presented to confirm an alternative to the Turing mechanism for the formation of self-organized…
The response of complex networks to perturbations is of utmost importance in areas as diverse as ecosystem management, emergency response, and cell reprogramming. A fundamental property of networks is that the perturbation of one node can…
Recent advances in artificial intelligence have propelled the development of innovative computational materials modeling and design techniques. Generative deep learning models have been used for molecular representation, discovery, and…
While modern deep networks have demonstrated remarkable versatility, their training dynamics remain poorly understood--often driven more by empirical tweaks than architectural insight. This paper investigates how internal structural choices…
Robust coordination and organization in large ensembles of nonlinear oscillatory units play a vital role in a wide range of natural and engineered system. The control of self-organizing network-coupled systems has recently seen significant…
Reconstituted filamentous actin networks with myosin motor proteins form active gels, in which motor proteins generate forces that drive the network far from equilibrium. This motor activity can also strongly affect the network elasticity;…