The best known fluid system exhibiting multiple steady flow states is the Coanda (Teapot) Effect, in which a slowly tilted teapot will spill. In oceanography, discussions of multiple steady states generally concern density-driven overturning circulation, which connects the upper and lower ocean;...

This seminar will explore the relationship between membrane curvature and the crowded molecular environment found on cellular membrane surfaces.  Biological membranes, which consist of lipids and proteins, define the cellular boundary, facilitate interactions with the extracellular environment,...

Cytokinesis, the physical separation of daughter cells at the end of mitosis, requires precise regulation of the mechanical properties of the cell periphery. Although studies of cytokinetic mechanics mostly focus on the equatorial constriction ring, a contractile actomyosin cortex is also present...

Motile bacteria are able to colonize surfaces by using various types of motility. The most rapid method involves an organized, flagella-based cell motion; a collective secretion of surfactants enables the fast expansion. Such “swarming” has been studied extensively. While the dynamics...

Single-molecule manipulation studies open a door for a close-up investigation of complex biological interactions and properties at the molecular level.  In these studies, single biomolecules are pulled while their force response is being monitored.  The process is often nonequilibrium and, therefore,...