Physics Colloquium
Date:
Colloquia
Time: 11:15-12:30
Title: It takes two to tango: The physics of heterogeneous bacterial active matter systems
Location: Physics Weissman Auditorium
Lecturer: Prof. Joel Stavans
Organizer: Department of Physics of Complex Systems
Details: Light refreshments at 11:00
Abstract: Non-equilibrium active matter systems often exhibit self-organized, collective m ... Read more Non-equilibrium active matter systems often exhibit self-organized, collective motion that can give rise to the emergence of coherent spatial structures. Prime examples covering many length scales range from mammal herds, fish schools and bird flocks, to insect and robot swarms. Despite significant advances in understanding the behavior of homogeneous systems in the last decades, little is known about the self-organization and dynamics of heterogeneous active matter. I will present results of bioconvection experiments with multispecies suspensions of wild-type bacteria from the hyper-diverse bacterial communities of Cuatro Ciénegas, Coahuila, whose origin dates back to the pre-Cambrian. Under oxygen gradients, these bacteria swim in auto-organized, directional flows, whose spatial scales exceed the cell size by orders of magnitude, demonstrating a plethora of amazing dynamical behaviors, including segregation. I will present evidence supporting the notion that the mechanisms giving rise to these complex behaviors are predominantly physical, and not a result of biological interactions. This research significantly advances our understanding of both heterogeneity in active matter, as well as in the dynamics of complex microbial ecological communities, bringing profound insights into their spatial organization and collective behavior.Close abstract
