Constraints and Frustration in Nano-Structured and Bio-Molecular Materials

1
Constraints and Frustration in Nano-Structured
and Bio-Molecular Materials MRSEC at Brandeis
University (DMR-0820492) PI Robert B. Meyer1
Co-PI Bulbul Chakraborty1, Irving Epstein4, Seth
Fraden1 Participants Zvonimir Dogic1, Jeff
Gelles2, Bruce Goode3, James Haber3, Michael
Hagan1, Jane Kondev1, Daniela Nicastro3, Azadeh
Samadani1, Bing Xu4, Robert Pelcovits5, David
Barrett6. Departments of 1Physics, 2Biochemistry,
3Biology, 4Chemistry, Brandeis University, 415
South St., Waltham, MA 02454 5Department of
Physics, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912
6Olin College of Engineering, Olin Way, Needham,
MA 02492.
Research Aim
To establish a new understanding of both how
functioning biological systems are built from
their carefully constrained material components,
and how to design and control material
constraints, to copy nature and build synthetic
functional nano-systems.
Research Approaches
Thrust 1 To study the effects of localization
of biopolymers both in vivo (by fluorescence
microscopy) and in vitro (using microfluidic
devices). Thrust 2 To study the effects of
chirality in frustrating long range order in both
crystals and membranes, resulting in complex new
structures. Thrust 3 To study active matter,
with the initial focus on dynamical systems are
capable of producing similar spatial and temporal
patterns. Seed Projects i) analysis of
eukaryotic flagella ii) Intracellular
hydrogelation and self-assembly iii) dynamics of
transcription factor release from DNA
Education, Outreach, Facility
Research Accomplishments