What we do.
In the soft matter mechanics lab, we study the relationship between structure and behavior of soft materials, which include polymers, biopolymers, hydrogels and biologically active materials such as cells.
Particularly, we focus on the out-of-equilibrium regime, that displays a rich variety of phenomena that rely on interpays between various characteristic and fundamental time scales. For this, we take a multi-scale approach where we decompose a microstructure into its components and analyse the effect of each of these parts on the macroscopic response (elasticity, rheology, adhesion or fracture resistance) of a material.
Why we do it.
We take inspiration from the world around us. The mechanics of soft matter, particularly pertaining to the biological realm, is rich with diverse new discoveries.
Our work has a wide range of practical applications in bio-engineering, cell mechanics, and active materials. Understanding emergent behaviours in soft matter has the potential to improve the fields of medicine, soft robotics, industrial applications, and entirely new classes of materials!
Our toolbox.
The complex nature of soft matter necessitates unique and varying approaches to fully elucidate mechanics behavior. Key to our work is:
Development of analytical models through statistical mechanics & continuum mechanics.
Utilization of computational tools including finite element analysis, discrete networks, and particle methods.
A mesoscale model for the micromechanical study of gels
Rate-Dependent Damage Mechanics of Polymer Networks with Reversible Bonds
