PhD project: Active Self-Assembly of Colloidal Structures
Project description
Biological matter is wonderfully complex – it can often flow like a liquid, orient like a liquid crystal, spontaneously move, and produce dynamic structures on multiple scales. These are exciting properties that passive and man-made materials typically do not possess. This project will investigate the dynamics of colloids embedded in active fluids, biological fluids that spontaneously flow due to internal energy. The interdisciplinary basis of this project leverages recent discoveries in the fields of active matter and colloidal liquid crystals to realise otherwise impossible pathways to dynamics self-assembly of mesoscale structures. This project consolidates these three exciting avenues of research.
You will investigate the interactions and dynamics of passive colloids, exploring whether pairs of colloids form self-assembled dimers and investigating whether many small colloids form dynamic structures through novel numerical simulations. Group members work in a collaborative and intradisciplinary environment, and become familiar with cutting-edge modelling techniques over the course of their research.
Project supervisor
- Dr. Tyler Shendruk (School of Physics & Astronomy, University of Edinburgh)
The project supervisor welcomes informal enquiries about this project.
Find out more about this research area
The links below summarise our research in the area(s) relevant to this project:
- Find out more about Soft Matter Physics.
- Find out more about Computational Materials Physics.
- Find out more about Statistical Physics and Complexity.
- Find out more about the Institute for Condensed Matter and Complex Systems.
What next?
- Find out how to apply for our PhD degrees.
- Find out about fees and funding and studentship opportunities.
- View and complete the application form (on the main University website).
- Find out how to contact us for more information.
More PhD projects
- Browse other Soft Matter Physics projects.
- Browse other Computational Materials Physics projects.
- Browse other Statistical Physics and Complexity projects.
- Browse other Institute for Condensed Matter and Complex Systems projects.
- Browse all PhD research opportunities in the School of Physics & Astronomy.
- Browse PhD research opportunities elsewhere in the University of Edinburgh.