Colloquium
Upcoming Colloquium
DNA Liquids
Dr. Omar Saleh, UC Santa Barbara
March 18, 2024
11:00am in LA4-120
Abstract
Liquid droplets of biomolecules (aka 'condensates') serve as organizers of the cellular interior and are of interest in biosensing and biomaterials applications. Here, I discuss a particular model system of biomolecules formed from multi-armed DNA particles ('nanostars') that can condense into liquid phases through interactions of single-stranded sticky ends that decorate each arm. These phases are analogous to biological condensates but are more colloidal, with each nanostar in the dense phase solely occupying its pervaded volume, rather than entangling in a polymeric fashion with its neighbors. As a result, nanostar liquids are tenuous and highly programmable through control of the sticky-ends, along with being functionalizable through sequence-specific interactions with solutes. I will discuss various aspects of these colloidal DNA liquids, including recent work on the role of finite particle valence in controlling nanostar phase and viscoelastic behavior; the formation of multi-phase droplets and the creation of novel multi-chambered liquid structures; and means to activate nanostar droplets through enzymatic interactions.
The Colloquium is a unique opportunity for students to learn about new developments in physics and what physicists do after they graduate. Hosted by the Physics and Astronomy Department at California State University, Long Beach, the weekly meetings invite guests from universities, research laboratories, and industry to present and discuss current topics in physics. All students are encouraged to attend for a well-rounded experience and training in physics.
Colloquium Coordinator
For information and suggestions about the colloquium please contact the colloquium coordinator:
Dr. Alex Klotz
Alex.Klotz@csulb.edu
Schedule
The following is the schedule for Spring 2024.
Date | Title | Speaker and Affiliation |
---|---|---|
March 18, 2024 | DNA Liquids | Dr. Omar Saleh, UC Santa Barbara |
March 25, 2024 | (topic: solid state physics) | Luis Jauregui, UC Irvine |
April 8, 2024 | (topic: solid state physics) | Ramamoorthy Ramesh, Rice University |
April 15, 2024 | (topic: astronomy) | Smadar Naoz, UCLA |
April 22, 2024 | (topic: biophysics) | Rae Robertson-Anderson, University of San Diego |
April 29, 2024 | (topic: particle physics) | Juan Pedro Ochoa-Ricoux, UC Irvine |
May 6, 2024 | End of Semester Presentations | Students, CSU Long Beach |
Previous Colloquia
Date | Title | Speaker and Affiliation |
---|---|---|
March 11, 2024 | The Gravity Tunnel in a Non-Uniform Earth | Dr. Alex Klotz, CSU Long Beach |
February 26, 2024 | A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through? | Zach Weinersmith, illustrator and writer for Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal |
February 19, 2024 | Driving Quantum Matter to Extremes | Dr. Sarah Grefe, CSU Long Beach |
February 12, 2024 | Solar System Archaelogy: Multi-disciplinary Approaches to Understanding Planetary System Formation and Environmental Science | Dr. Gerardo Dominguez, CSU San Marcos |
February 5, 2024 | Assembly, Disassembly, and Mechanics of Entropic Colloidosomes | Dr. Zvonimir Dogic, UC Santa Barbara |
January 29, 2024 | What Quantum Materials Can Reveal When Interrogated with Photoemission and Electronic Transport Probes | Dr. Claudia Ojeda-Aristizaba, CSU Long Beach |
The Colloquium Archive has the Colloquia from previous semesters.
Sponsors
We acknowledge with gratitude donations and support from the following present sponsors:
- H.E. and H.B. Miller and Family Endowment
- Benjamin Carter
- American Physical Society
- Anonymous
We also acknowledge with gratitude our past donors: The Forty-Niner Shops, Inc., The Northrop Grumman Foundation, Sandra Dana, Anonymous.
If you wish to support the Colloquium, please contact the colloquium coordinator or the department chair. Thank you!