Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ActiveMatter (Active Matter: From Fundamental Science to Technological Applications)
Período documentado: 2019-09-01 hasta 2021-08-31
ActiveMatter MSCA-ITN (Innovative Training Network) arises from the need to train a new generation of physicists and engineers in the highly interdisciplinary fields related to active matter.
Active matter encompasses a variety of fields from physics, chemistry, micro-and nanotechnology to biology and medicine, and provides options to perform tasks not easily realizable with other standard techniques on the micro- and nanoscale.
Active matter has been attracting increasing interest because its study can shed light on far-from-equilibrium physics. Active materials exhibit striking similarities with the dynamical properties of living systems, providing an ideal model system to understand the behavior and (self-)organization of motile organisms, and potentially providing tools to understand and replicate complex biological processes (like the working of cells, their organization in cellular tissues, or mitosis and embryogenesis) on the base of general and universal physical concepts.
Active matter is on the threshold of breakthroughs that will permit us to gain a deeper understanding of the fundamental challenges associated with far-from-equilibrium physics and to address key technological issues of great societal and economic impact, namely:
1. to develop biocompatible active particles, reducing their footprint by scaling them down towards the nanoscale;
2. to understand their emergent and synergistic behaviors in complex and crowded environments;
3. to study self-assembly in dense active and living matter systems;
4. to translate the results obtained until now by the active matter community to real-life applications of societal and economical value.
Problem(s):
• Train a new generation of physicists and engineers in the highly interdisciplinary fields related to active matter.
• Understand far-from-equilibrium physics and exploit the knowledge to address key technological issues of great societal and economic impact: developing biocompatible active particle and eventually scaling them down to the nanoscale to reduce their footprint; understand their emergent and synergistic behaviors in complex and crowded environments such as, e.g. the environment in cells and living tissues; study the self-assembly in dense active and living systems; and use the results and knowledge obtained to develop real-life application of societal and economical value.
Importance:
• Understanding the behavior of (artificial and biological) far-from-equilibrium systems using general physical concepts, providing a theoretical framework to model them and predict their behavior.
• Potential applications in the fields of medicine, biology, nanotechnology, etc., which might produce a positive impact on the life of the individual and the society.
Objectives:
• Bring the active matter community together to organize the available knowledge in a format that can be used to train a new generation of scientists and engineers in active matter.
• Develop biocompatible active particles and study their emergent and synergistic behaviors in complex and crowded environments.
• Study self-assembly in dense and active systems.
• Translate the current results of active matter to real-life applications of societal and economical value.
Active matter encompasses a variety of fields from physics, chemistry, micro-and nanotechnology to biology and medicine, and provides options to perform tasks not easily realizable with other standard techniques on the micro- and nanoscale.
Active matter has been attracting increasing interest because its study can shed light on far-from-equilibrium physics. Active materials exhibit striking similarities with the dynamical properties of living systems, providing an ideal model system to understand the behavior and (self-)organization of motile organisms, and potentially providing tools to understand and replicate complex biological processes (like the working of cells, their organization in cellular tissues, or mitosis and embryogenesis) on the base of general and universal physical concepts.
Active matter is on the threshold of breakthroughs that will permit us to gain a deeper understanding of the fundamental challenges associated with far-from-equilibrium physics and to address key technological issues of great societal and economic impact, namely:
1. to develop biocompatible active particles, reducing their footprint by scaling them down towards the nanoscale;
2. to understand their emergent and synergistic behaviors in complex and crowded environments;
3. to study self-assembly in dense active and living matter systems;
4. to translate the results obtained until now by the active matter community to real-life applications of societal and economical value.
Problem(s):
• Train a new generation of physicists and engineers in the highly interdisciplinary fields related to active matter.
• Understand far-from-equilibrium physics and exploit the knowledge to address key technological issues of great societal and economic impact: developing biocompatible active particle and eventually scaling them down to the nanoscale to reduce their footprint; understand their emergent and synergistic behaviors in complex and crowded environments such as, e.g. the environment in cells and living tissues; study the self-assembly in dense active and living systems; and use the results and knowledge obtained to develop real-life application of societal and economical value.
Importance:
• Understanding the behavior of (artificial and biological) far-from-equilibrium systems using general physical concepts, providing a theoretical framework to model them and predict their behavior.
• Potential applications in the fields of medicine, biology, nanotechnology, etc., which might produce a positive impact on the life of the individual and the society.
Objectives:
• Bring the active matter community together to organize the available knowledge in a format that can be used to train a new generation of scientists and engineers in active matter.
• Develop biocompatible active particles and study their emergent and synergistic behaviors in complex and crowded environments.
• Study self-assembly in dense and active systems.
• Translate the current results of active matter to real-life applications of societal and economical value.
Research wise, the progress of the network has been affected by the covid-19 pandemics, which caused a delay in the recruiting of the ESRs. However, all the ESRs are currently recruited and started their research project.
All the deliverables up to the current date have been submitted as planned, and the research progress of the network proceeds according to the plans.
The planned training events (on numerical, experimental, theoretical methods for active matter) have been held online, due to the covid19 pandemics. In total, approximately 50 experts in the field of active matter have given lectures in the training events. The ESRs were provided lecture notes and pre-recorded lectures to study in advance, and the discussion session were held online. Each training lasted three weeks, during which the students had to work in groups to solve the exercises assigned by the lecturers, before presenting their solution in front of all the students. Two times a week round table discussions were held. During these events, a few guest experts were invited. A group of students, different in composition each time, prepared questions and moderated the discussion.
The networking has been partially hindered by the travel and gathering restrictions during the pandemics. Nonetheless, the students were able to gather several times online, and also during the training events. We plan to have our first in-person event of the network with all the ESRs in Spring 2022.
ActiveMatter has tried to reach out to a wider community despite the challenges related to the pandemics.
On the website and on the YouTube channel of ActiveMatter one can find the updates on the research activities of the ESRs, as well as the information about the training events.
All the deliverables up to the current date have been submitted as planned, and the research progress of the network proceeds according to the plans.
The planned training events (on numerical, experimental, theoretical methods for active matter) have been held online, due to the covid19 pandemics. In total, approximately 50 experts in the field of active matter have given lectures in the training events. The ESRs were provided lecture notes and pre-recorded lectures to study in advance, and the discussion session were held online. Each training lasted three weeks, during which the students had to work in groups to solve the exercises assigned by the lecturers, before presenting their solution in front of all the students. Two times a week round table discussions were held. During these events, a few guest experts were invited. A group of students, different in composition each time, prepared questions and moderated the discussion.
The networking has been partially hindered by the travel and gathering restrictions during the pandemics. Nonetheless, the students were able to gather several times online, and also during the training events. We plan to have our first in-person event of the network with all the ESRs in Spring 2022.
ActiveMatter has tried to reach out to a wider community despite the challenges related to the pandemics.
On the website and on the YouTube channel of ActiveMatter one can find the updates on the research activities of the ESRs, as well as the information about the training events.
From the beginning of the network, ActiveMatter has 7 published articles to its credit (see Publications entered in the F&T portal), and 2 preprints.
Combining cutting-edge experimental, theoretical, and computational approaches, the network is expected to provide a new synergic approach to active matter that will favor transfer of research results and technologies between sectors.
The cooperation with the companies in our network will facilitate the process to translate the research progresses into real-life applications.
The network also aims to specifically train young researchers in R&D topics that cover the multiple disciplines required in the fast-evolving field of active matter, in the competences that are required for a large variety of scientific as well as industrial applications and they are in high demand in the job market and will guarantee a high level of employability for our ESRs.
The outcome of the ActiveMatter packages, training structure and ESR projects will have the following impact on the European and international scientific and technological landscape:
• To enhance our fundamental scientific understanding of active matter beyond the state of the art by developing biocompatible active particles, by exploring and understanding their emergent and synergistic behaviors in complex and crowded environments, and by studying self-assembly in dense active and living matter systems.
• To pioneer the exploitation of the new possibilities that active matter offers for technological and industrial applications like the design and fabrication of biomimetic active materials, and the targeted localization, pick-up and transport of nanocargoes in chemical sensing, drug delivery and bioremediation.
• To develop the guidelines and materials (including a graduate textbook) needed to start study programs in active matter – from outreach activities to fully fledged graduate (Master and PhD) study programs.
• To train a new generation of researchers with cross-disciplinary competences within the active matter field. These researchers will be uniquely positioned to take advantage of this blossoming field of research obtaining leadership positions within both academia and industry and driving its future direction. This will have the beneficial effect of keeping the European Research Area at the very forefront of active matter.
Combining cutting-edge experimental, theoretical, and computational approaches, the network is expected to provide a new synergic approach to active matter that will favor transfer of research results and technologies between sectors.
The cooperation with the companies in our network will facilitate the process to translate the research progresses into real-life applications.
The network also aims to specifically train young researchers in R&D topics that cover the multiple disciplines required in the fast-evolving field of active matter, in the competences that are required for a large variety of scientific as well as industrial applications and they are in high demand in the job market and will guarantee a high level of employability for our ESRs.
The outcome of the ActiveMatter packages, training structure and ESR projects will have the following impact on the European and international scientific and technological landscape:
• To enhance our fundamental scientific understanding of active matter beyond the state of the art by developing biocompatible active particles, by exploring and understanding their emergent and synergistic behaviors in complex and crowded environments, and by studying self-assembly in dense active and living matter systems.
• To pioneer the exploitation of the new possibilities that active matter offers for technological and industrial applications like the design and fabrication of biomimetic active materials, and the targeted localization, pick-up and transport of nanocargoes in chemical sensing, drug delivery and bioremediation.
• To develop the guidelines and materials (including a graduate textbook) needed to start study programs in active matter – from outreach activities to fully fledged graduate (Master and PhD) study programs.
• To train a new generation of researchers with cross-disciplinary competences within the active matter field. These researchers will be uniquely positioned to take advantage of this blossoming field of research obtaining leadership positions within both academia and industry and driving its future direction. This will have the beneficial effect of keeping the European Research Area at the very forefront of active matter.