bidentate polymers (white) for protein (green) chelation

NEWSLETTERIssueno.9

December2015

http://www.iop.org/activity/groups/subject/lcf/

Bidentatepolymers(white)forprotein(green)chelationandbiosensing:

moleculardynamicssimulationsnapshot.(ImagecourtesyofSaraFortuna,UniversityofUdine,Italy)

Chair’sReportOnbehalfofthecommittee,Iampleasedtointroducetheend-of-yearLiquidsandComplexFluidsGroupnewsletter.Thisisachancetolookbackonouractivitiesin2015,andforwardtoourplansfor2016.

MikeAllen

GroupActivities2015OurannualAdvancedSchoolonSoftMatter,“SolutionsintheSpring”,wasorganizedbyAndrewArcher,withtheassistanceofPaulClegg,atLoughboroughUniversityinApril.NathanDavieshasprovidedareportfromthestudentperspective,laterintheNewsletter.TheGrouporganizedameetingon“ComplexFluidsunderExtremeConditions”atDurhamUniversityinSeptember.Ourthanksgototheorganizers,MargaritaStaykova,andLornaDougan,andareportappearsinthefollowingpages.TheGroupoffersanEarlyCareerAwardeverytwoyears,recognizingtheworkofanexceptionalscientistintheLiquidsandComplexFluidsarea.Thisyear,therewereseveralexcellentnominations;aftercarefulconsideration,thecommitteemadetheawardtoKislonVoitchovskyofDurhamUniversity,forhisstudiesofthestructureanddynamicsofliquidsatinterfaces.CongratulationsKislon!TheawardwaspresentedattheSeptembermeeting,andaphotoappearslateron.

AlexeiLikhtmanWewereallshockedandsaddenedtohearoftheuntimelydeathofProfessorAlexeiLikhtman.DanielReadandTomMcLeishhavewrittenanappreciationofAlexei,whichappearslaterinthisnewsletter.

PlannedActivities2016Itpromisestobeanexcitingyearahead.TheGroupisonceagainco-sponsoringalargeconferenceon“ThePhysicsofSoftandBiologicalMatter”,atHomertonCollegeCambridge,inApril.WewillarrangeourAdvancedSchool“SolutionsintheSpring”,immediatelyprecedingtheconference,inthesameplace.Thisworkedverywellin2014,andisanexcellentopportunityforgraduatestudentstoattendbothevents.Furtherdetailsappearlaterinthenewsletter.WeshallalsoholdtheLCFGGeneralMeetingduringtheconference,sopleasefeelfreetocomealonganddiscusshowtheGroupoperates,makesuggestionsforfutureevents,andgivefeedback.Amongstotheractivities,weshallbeorganizingseveralone-daymeetingsonsuchtopicsas“nanoscaleflowatinterfaces”,“topologyanddefectsinsoftmatter”,and(jointlyarrangedwiththeStatisticalMechanicsandThermodynamicsGroupoftheRoyalSocietyofChemistry)“statisticalmechanicaltheoryoffluidsandsoftmatter”.Furtherdetailswillbecirculatedlater.

CommitteeChangesIshouldliketothankDougCleaver,PeterOlmsted,DanielRead,andEdoBoek,whosteppeddownfromthecommitteethisyear,andwelcomeMargaritaStaykova,SaraFortuna,NathanDavies,andAnitaZeidler.

StudentBursariesIshouldliketoremindmembersofthegroupabouttheIOPResearchStudentConferenceFund,whichprovidesupto£300supportforstudentstoattendinternational,andmajornational,meetings.Detailsathttp://www.iop.org/about/grants.

LiquidsandComplexFluidsGroupNewsletter December2015

SolutionsintheSpringAdvancedSchoolinSoftCondensedMatterTheadvancedschoolinsoftcondensedmatter,organisedbytheLCFG,isayearlyspringeventdesignedtogiveyoungresearchersanintroductiontomanycentraltopicsinsoftmatter,liquids,andcomplexfluids.The2015school,includingmyself,waswelcomedtoLoughboroughUniversityfrom13th-16thApril.

AlexeiLikhtmanDanielBowronRhodaHawkinsIngoDierkingBobEvansPosterSessionCreditforallimages:IngoDierkingThelecturerswere:DanielBowronofISISgivingtalksonneutronscattering;IngoDierkingofManchesterUniversitycoveringliquidcrystals;RhodaHawkinsofSheffieldUniversityintroducingbiophysics;andAlexeiLikhtmanofReadingUniversitypresentingonpolymerphysics.Thespeakersintroducedawiderangeofsoftmattertopicsaswellastheirownresearchincludingneutrondiffraction,cellcytoskeletons,entangledpolymers,andliquidcrystalchirality.Thetopicsgenerallyconsistedofseveraltalksfollowedbyworkshops.Thiswasparticularlyusefultoalltheattendingstudentsallowingtheorytobeputintopractice,fromthinkingabouthowproteinsgrowwithincellstocalculatingtherandomwalkofapolymerchain.TheworkshopsalsoincludedatutorialonhowtoapplyforneutronbeamtimeatISISandashow-and-telldiscussionofliquidcrystaltechnology.TheplenarytalkwasgivenbyBobEvansfromBristolUniversity.Hebeganwithaninterestingtalkoncriticalpoints.Then,afterdinner,hegavealesstypical,yetabsolutelyhilarious,talkon“TheGood,TheBadandThe…”,aguess-whoofsoftmatteraccompaniedbycomicalanecdotes.

Afterintroducingseveralfamiliarfaces,forexampleBoltzmann,severalofthemoreeccentricandfree-thinkingcharactersofthefieldwereuncovered…thecriticalpointdeniers!Alongsidethetalks,studentspresentedtheirworkandpostersatanetworkingevent.Networkingwasclearlyabigfocusoftheschool.Studentsrotatedaroundtheroomdiscussingcommongroundsuchasexperimentalmethods,similartheoreticalconcepts,andthehighsandlowsofbeingaPhDstudent.Formepersonallythiswasinvaluable,ImadefriendsandcontactswhoIhavesincemetagainatotherschoolsandconferences,aswellaskindlingpotentialcollaborationsforthefuture.Inadditiontothis,atripwasorganisedtotheLeicesterSpaceCentrefortheconferencedinner.Thestudentstookpartinateam-buildingexercisebasedonamockspace-station.Thecohortwassplitintotwogroups,thoseheadedforgroundcontrolandthoseheadedintospace.Eachpersonwasgivenarole,beitcommunications,medicine,science,engineering,orcommandingofficer,eachwithacounterpartintheothergroup.TheexercisepeakedwiththetwounifiedteamssavingplanetEarthfromanasteroidimpact!


Overalltheschoolprovedtobeveryusefulforalltheattendingstudents.Theopportunitytomeetnewfriendsanddevelopfuturecontactswasequallyasvaluableastheastheknowledgeimpartedbytheinvitedspeakers.AfterattendingtheschoolmyselfIwouldthoroughlyrecommendittoanyfuturestudentsinthefield.Anacademicallybeneficialexperienceandachancetomeetthepeopleyou’llbeseeingatconferencesfortherestofyourcareer.

NathanDavies

AlexeiLikhtman,1971–2015Asmanywillnodoubtbeaware,AlexeiLikhtman–oneofthespeakersatour2015SpringSchool–diedon11October2015followingafallwhilehikinginMaryland,USA.Alexeiwasabrilliantscientist,anexpertinthefieldofrheologyanddynamicsofentangledpolymers.Hiscontributionstothisfieldaremanifold.Severaltheoreticalworksonthelinearandnon-linearviscoelasticityoflinearpolymerscarryhisname,includingtheLikhtman-McLeishmodel(2002)forslowflowsandtheGLaMMmodel(2003)forfastflows(Graham,LikhtmanandMilner,McLeish).Asimplifiedversionofthelatter(the“Rolie-Poly”model)hasbecomeastandardmodelfornumericalcomputationsincomplexflowgeometries.Morerecentworkfocussedoncomputationalmodelling:Alexeidevelopednovelalgorithmstoaveragechaintrajectoriesinmoleculardynamicssimulationssoastoidentifypolymerentanglements.Hisremarkable‘slip-linkmodel’wasabletoaddressdataonrheology,NMRanddiffusionmeasurementssimultaneously.Inawidercontext,hisforesightandenergyledtothecreation,withlong-timecolleagueJorgeRamirez,ofafreesoftwaretool(calledREPTATE)that

enabledexperimentalscientistsinuniversitiesandindustrytosorttheirpolymerflowdataandcompareitquicklyandefficientlytotheoreticalmodels,greatlyacceleratingfundamentalresearchanditsapplication,and(asanaddedbonus)providingauniqueteachingtoolforpolymerrheologists.FullertributestoAlexei’sscientificachievementswillnodoubtbemadeelsewhere.InthecontextoftheSpringSchool,itisfittingtorememberhisdeepcommitmenttopassinghisknowledgeandunderstandingontoothers,especiallythenextgenerationofscientists.Alexeiwasawonderfullycreativethinker,abrilliantteacheratundergraduateandgraduatelevels,withacademicgravitaswaybeyondhisyears,yetcompletelyapproachable,modestandalwaysfriendly.Whileundoubtedlysuccessfulhimself,AlexeiwasequallyproudofthemanyachievementsofthegrouphedevelopedasProfessorofMathematicalPhysicsattheUniversityofReading.InSeptemberthisyearhespokeglowinglyofhowtwoposterprizesoutofthreeavailableattheInstituteofPhysicsPolymerPhysicsBiennialConferencewerewonbypost-doctoralresearchersfromhisteam.Hewashugelysupportiveofthoseforwhomhefelthehadaresponsibility.HisdedicationtohisPhDstudentsandhisresearchteamwentwellbeyondprofessionalduty.WearesurethatattendeesattheSpringSchoolbenefittedgreatlyfromAlexei’steachingandinsights.Alexeiwasacommittedfamilyman,andhadahugerangeofinterestsbeyondscience.HeissurvivedbyhiswifeKatrina,andtheirtwodaughters,SonyaandAsya.

DanielRead,TomMcLeish


ComplexFluidsunderExtremeConditions

Top: Extreme deformation of complex fluid interfaces. Amicrobubble covered by amonolayer ofcolloidal particles undergoes violent collapse due to a sudden change in pressure. A high-speedliquid jet forms, piercing through the bubble, and drives expulsion of colloidal particles from thesurfaceofthebubble.Bottom:Extremedeformationofcomplexfluidinterfaces.Amicrobubblecoveredbyamonolayerofcolloidalparticlesisdrivenintoperiodiccompression-expansionina50kHzultrasoundwave.Thecolloidal particles on the bubble surface initially form an attractive gel. During ultrafastdeformationat50kHz,theaggregatesarebrokenandthecolloidsdisperseonthebubblesurface.BothfiguresfromPNAS112,5932(2015),courtesyofValeriaGarbin.Onthe15thSeptember2015,LCFGheldaone-daymeetingattheUniversityofDurhamonthesubjectof“ComplexFluidsUnderExtremeConditions”.Fourinvitedtalksweregiven,coveringbothabroadrangeofcomplexfluidsandvariedextremeconditions.RolandWinter,UniversityofDortmund,didawonderfuljobofsettingthesceneforthemeeting,byfirstprovidingahistoricalaccountofthedevelopmentofhighpressurestudiesofbiologicalmaterialsscienceandthengivinganoverviewofabroadrangeofcomplexfluidsystemsandextremeconditions.Thisincludedeffectsoftemperature,pressure,crowdingandosmolytesontheinteractionpotentialandphasebehaviourofconcentratedproteinsolutionsandinterestingpropertiesoflipidsandmembranesunderextremeconditionssuchaspressure.Inhistalk,Rolandhighlightedtheinterestingphysicsatplayinthesecomplexfluidsandtheopportunitiesavailabletoprobeunderlyingmechanisms.NextupwasValeriaGarbin,ImperialCollegeLondon,whodeliveredan

engagingtalkonextremedeformationofcomplexfluidinterfaces(seethefiguresabove).Sheemphasisedtheimportanceofself-assemblyatfluidinterfacesanditsrelevancetobothnaturalandindustrialprocesses.Shehighlightedthatdespitetheirbroadapplicability,thebehaviourofcomplexinterfacesunderextremeflowconditionsisstillpoorlyunderstood.Shewentontodescribetwoexperimentalstudiesonthedynamicsofcomplexinterfaces,whichincludedextremedeformationofparticle-stabilisedbubblesandthelargedeformationandbreak-upoflipidmembranesinacomplexshearflow.Inthelunchbreaktheattendeeshadtheopportunitytodiscusspostersonawiderangeoftopics,includingsinglemoleculestudiesofproteinsfromextremophileorganisms,structuralstudiesofpeptoidself-assembly,mechanicalpropertiesofconfinedlipidmembranes,characterizationofbio-interfacesatthenano-levelandothers.


AfterlunchtheorganizerspresentedtheLiquidandComplexFluidsGroupEarlyCareerAwardtoKislonVoitchovskyfromUniversityofDurham,whopresentedexcitingnewresultsonthespontaneousself-organizationofalcoholmoleculesinthevicinityofsolidinterfaces.

DrLornaDouganpresentingtheLCFGEarlyCareerAwardtoDrKislonVoitchovsky,UniversityofDurham.TheprogramcontinuedwiththetalkofHugoChristensonfromUniversityofLeedsontheeffectsofconfinementandtopographyoncrystallisationofliquids.Inparticular,heshowedthatsurfacerougheningofsubstrateshadnoeffectonicenucleationfromsupercoolwater.TheworkshopconcludedwiththefascinatingtalkofGlenMcHale,UniversityofNorthumbriaontheengineeringofsurfaceswithunusualwettingproperties.Inparticular,hepresentedtechniquestosculptsurfacesatthenano-andmicro-leveltoachieveextremewaterrepellenceandsignificantdragreduction,aswellastoinducesuperwettingbyusingdielectrophoreticforces.Overall,themeetingwasagreatsuccessandenjoyedbyallattendees.WethanktheIOPforalltheirhelpinorganisingthemeetingandtheUniversityofDurhamforhostingtheevent.Welookforwardtoorganisingothereventsinthisexcitingareainthefuture.Detailsoftheeventareavailableat:http://compfuec.iopconfs.org/home

LornaDougan,MargaritaStaykova

UpcomingEventsAdvancedSchoolinSoftCondensedMatter"SolutionsintheSpring"Sun,3April–Wed,6April2016,HomertonCollege,Cambridgehttp://scmspring2016.iopconfs.org/homeTheannualgraduateschool,organizedbytheLiquidsandComplexFluidsGroup,willbeheldinCambridgeinApril2016.TheSchoolisforPhDstudentsinphysics,biophysics,chemistry,andchemicalengineeringandaimstoprovideacomprehensiveintroductiontokeytopicsinsoftmatterscience.Thisyearthelectureswillcoverselfassembly(ProfKarenEdler,Bath),confinedfluids(ProfAndrewParry,ImperialCollege),neutronreflectivity(DrSimonTitmuss,Edinburgh)andmicro-rheology(DrTomWaigh,Manchester).Therewillbeopportunitiesforstudentstonetwork,socializeandpresenttheirownworkatapostersession.TheSchoolisfollowedimmediatelybyThePhysicsofSoftandBiologicalMatterconferenceatthesamelocation.TheSchoolwebsiteisgivenaboveandwillgoliveinDecember;registrationdeadlineis23rdMarch2016.

PhysicsofSoftandBiologicalMatterWed,6April–Fri,8April2016,HomertonCollege,Cambridgehttp://softbio2016.iopconfs.org/homeThisconferencewillbringtogetherthebroadanddiversecommunityinterestedinthephysicsofsoftandbiologicalmatter,whichincludes:liquidcrystals,polymers,colloids,membranes,interfaces,cellularbiophysics,biologicalmacromolecules.Theprogrammewillspananumberofkeycross-cuttingthemes,includingself-assemblyandpatterning,rheology,biomimetics,non-equilibriumphenomena,aswellasmolecularimaging,opticalmethodsandspectroscopies,whichareallrelevant


tothewiderangeoflength-andtime-scalespresentinthesefascinatingsystems.Thismeetingfollowstheverysuccessfulconferenceonthesametopicin2014.Invitedspeakersinclude:AnnaBalazs,UniversityofPittsburgh;MikeCates,UniversityofCambridge;JochenGuck,TechnischeUniversitatDresden;LucioIsa,ETHZurich;GijsjeKoenderink,FOMInstituteAMOLF,Amsterdam;andRonLarson,UniversityofMichigan.Themeetingisco-organisedbytheLiquidsandComplexFluids,PolymerPhysics,BiologicalPhysics,andMolecularPhysicsGroupsoftheIOP.Abstractsubmissionisalreadyopen,andwillcloseon13January2016.Onlineregistrationisnowopenwithdiscountedratesuntil9March2016.

DefiningtheRoadmapforUnderstandingthePhysicsofLife27January2016NaturalHistoryMuseum,LondonWeinviteyoutojoinusfortheFinalSummitmeetingofourNetwork,whichwillbeheldattheNaturalHistoryMuseuminLondononJanuary27.ThecentralgoaloftheNetworkhasbeentoidentifythefundamentalchallengesthatmustbeaddressedifwearetounderstandthephysicsoflife.ThroughthePlenaryEventsweidentifiedalistofimportantproblemsaroundwhichwebasedourFocussedWorkshops.Thesemeetings,withtheiremphasisondiscussion,haveprovidedawealthoffeedbackandideasfromthecommunity.Thescientificscopeoftheseworkshopswillbereflectedinarangeofpresentationsfromoutstandingspeakers,includingCatherineRoyer(RensselaerPolytechnicInstitute),ArdLouis(UniversityofOxford),CecileSykes(InstituteCurie),RichardMorris(JohnInnesCentre),JuliaYeomans(Oxford).

AttheFinalSummitwewilltrytodrawtogethersomeofthestrandsthathaveemergedfromtheseactivitiesandpresentasketchofthepathaheadforbiologicalphysicsresearchintheUK.Weplantopresentthis“roadmap”toourfunders,EPSRCandBBSRC,andweareanxioustogarnertheviewsofthecommunitytoensurethatwecanrepresentitsviewsasaccuratelyaspossibletotheresearchcouncils.Pleasejoinustolearnaboutwhatwehavebeendoingandtohelpshapeour“roadmap”.Registrationcostsonly£20.Formoreinformation,seehttp://www.physicsoflife.org.uk/events/final-summit/

GrahamLeggett

GroupCommitteeProfMikeAllen(Chair)UniversitiesofWarwickandBristolm.p.allen@warwick.ac.ukDrPaulClegg(Treasurer)UniversityofEdinburghpaul.clegg@ed.ac.ukDrAndrewArcherLoughboroughUniversitya.j.archer@lboro.ac.ukMrNathanDaviesAberystwythUniversitynad6@aber.ac.ukDrLornaDouganUniversityofLeedsl.dougan@leeds.ac.ukDrSaraFortunaUniversityofUdinesara.fortuna@uniud.itMrAdamHughesLoughboroughUniversityA.Hughes2@lboro.ac.ukDrMargaritaStaykovaDurhamUniversitymargarita.staykova@[email protected]

bidentate polymers (white) for protein (green) chelation

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