Objective
‘Active matter’ is matter that is intrinsically out of equilibrium. In particular, an ‘active suspension’ is made up of self-propelled particles or droplets dispersed in a liquid. Active matter is not in thermal equilibrium even in the absence of external driving, and display fascinating properties. Thus, e.g. a so- lution of the filament-forming protein actin and the ‘molecular motor’ protein myosin can ‘burn’ ATP as fuel to produce a gel that flows in the absence of any external pressure gradient; while a suspension of swimming bacteria can have a viscosity that is lower than that of the suspending liquid. There is yet no gener- ally accepted statistical mechanics of active matter, where the absence of detailed balance means that small differences in microscopic dynamics can in principle lead to very different macroscopic behaviour. Moreover, there is no a priori reason to believe that a reduced description in terms of just a few macroscopic parameters (such as effective temperature and density) is possible. I propose a systematic pro- gramme of experiments to discover when and how microscopic dynamics affect the macroscopic behaviour of active suspensions, whether any of their behaviour has analogues in suspensions of passive particles and droplets, and how activity can be described using coarse-grained variables. To ensure that the experiments can be tightly coupled to theory and simulations, I will use well-characterised, model systems of active particles. Developing model systems is therefore a subsidiary, but crucial, goal of my programme. Some of these systems will be designed to be as similar as possible in their passive properties, but quite distinct in terms of their microscopic dynamics – a ‘luxury’ that is typically only available to theo- rists and simulators. Experimenting with such model systems should reveal what phenomena are generic to activity, and what phenomena are specific to particular kinds of microscopic dynamics.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology bacteriology
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- natural sciences physical sciences classical mechanics statistical mechanics
- engineering and technology environmental engineering energy and fuels
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
ERC-2013-ADG
See other projects for this call
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Host institution
EH8 9YL Edinburgh
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.