Our work has focused on two broad types of systems: i) Active solutions that pattern living cells and ii) DNA-cytoskeletal active fluids and gels. We have obtained and published remarkable results along these two lines. Concerning the first subject, we have devised a DNA program that controls the internalization of fluorescent DNA inside living cells (Van der Hofstadt et al, ACS nano. 2021). We thus have shown that a self-organized pattern of DNA can transfer its positional information to living cells, even in the presence of extracellular media (Galas et al, ACS synth. biol. 2022). This is the first time that a DNA program runs in the presence of living cells.
Concerning the second subject, we have first thoroughly investigated pattern formation in cytoskeletal active gels and demonstrated the importance of both passive and active forces in shaping active matter and demonstrate that a spontaneously flowing active fluid can be sculpted into a static material through an active mechanism (Senoussi et al, PNAS 2019, Sarfati et al, Soft Matter 2022). Then, we have coupled these active systems with DNA molecular programs making mechano-chemical (Senoussi et al, Sci. Adv. 2021) and chemo-mechanical (Vyborna et al, JACS 2021) couplings, inspired from embryo development. We have also theoretically investigated such chemo-mechanical coupling (Del Junco et al, Phys. Rev. E, 2022).
We have also worked on complex pattern formation with high spatial resolution where we have obtained and published good results (Urtel et al, Soft matter, 2019).
