Related papers: Geometry-Dependent Defect Merging Induces Bifurcat…
We study experimentally the fracture mechanisms of a model cohesive granular medium consisting of glass beads held together by solidified polymer bridges. The elastic response of this material can be controlled by changing the cross-linking…
Eukaryote cells have a flexible shape, which dynamically changes according to the function performed by the cell. One mechanism for deforming the cell membrane into the desired shape is through the expression of curved membrane proteins.…
A continuum model of fracture that describes, in principle, the propagation and interaction of arbitrary distributions of cracks and voids with evolving topology without a fracture criterion is developed. It involves a 'law of motion' for…
We study a cascading edge failure mechanism on a connected random graph with a prescribed degree sequence, sampled using the configuration model. This mechanism prescribes that every edge failure puts an additional strain on the remaining…
Recent experiments have illuminated a remarkable growth mechanism of rod-shaped bacteria: proteins associated with cell wall extension move at constant velocity in circles oriented approximately along the cell circumference (Garner et al.,…
We investigate the chemical dissolution of porous media using a network model in which the system is represented as a series of interconnected pipes with the diameter of each segment increasing in proportion to the local reactant…
Modern deep learning usually treats models as separate artifacts: trained independently, specialized for particular purposes, and replaced when improved versions appear. This thesis studies model merging as an alternative paradigm:…
As part of our ongoing work on the enumeration of symmetry classes of lozenge tilings of hexagons with certain four-lobed structures removed from their center, we consider the case of the tilings which are both vertically and horizontally…
Disordered mechanical systems can deform along a network of pathways that branch and recombine at special configurations called bifurcation points. Multiple pathways are accessible from these bifurcation points; consequently, computer-aided…
Three problems in the statistical mechanics of models for an assembly of molecular motors interacting with cytoskeletal filaments are reviewed. First, a description of the hydrodynamical behaviour of density-density correlations in…
We consider a phase-separating mixture of active and passive fluids and explore morphological asymmetries of the emerging dominantly bicontinous dynamic emulsion. Two-dimensional numerical simulations reveal that the geometric and…
We exploit the long-ranged elastic fields inherent to confined nematic liquid crystals to assemble colloidal particles trapped at the liquid crystal interface into reconfigurable structures with complex symmetries and packings. Spherical…
Polylactic acid (PLA) nanofibrous networks have gained substantial interest across various engineering and scientific disciplines, such as tissue engineering, drug delivery, and filtration, due to their unique and multifunctional…
We study a number of domain wall forming models where various types of defect junctions can exist. These illustrate some of the mechanisms that will determine the evolution of defect networks with junctions. Understanding these mechanisms…
Living matter moves, deforms, and organizes itself. In cells this is made possible by networks of polymer filaments and crosslinking molecules that connect filaments to each other and that act as motors to do mechanical work on the network.…
Structure formation and constant reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton are key requirements for the function of living cells. Here we show that a minimal reconstituted system consisting of actin filaments, crosslinking molecules and…
Incorporating cells within active biomaterial scaffolds is a promising strategy to develop forefront materials that can autonomously sense, respond, and alter the scaffold in response to environmental cues or internal cell circuitry. Using…
Active processes drive and guide biological dynamics across scales -- from subcellular cytoskeletal remodelling, through tissue development in embryogenesis, to population-level bacterial colonies expansion. In each of these, biological…
We study the properties of junctions created by crossing of N identical branches of linear discrete networks. We reveal that for N>2 such a junction creates a topological defect and supports two types of spatially localized modes. We…
Many biological materials consist of sparse networks of disordered fibres, embedded in a soft elastic matrix. The interplay between rigid and soft elements in such composite networks leads to mechanical properties that can go far beyond the…