Nanostructures at Soft Interfaces: Technology and Biophysics

7 December 2018
University of Cambridge
Workshop Chair:
Lorenzo Di Michele (University of Cambridge)

This workshop is sponsored by:  

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Workshop Overview

Soft interfaces, formed at the boundary between immiscible fluids, gels and membranes, are ubiquitous to many contexts of fundamental science and technology, from biology to food, from oil to nanomedicine. Most often, the properties of real-life interfaces are highly dependent on the presence and nature of nanoscopic interfacial agents. Examples include amphiphilic proteins that impart functionality to biological and biomimetic membranes and surfactants that enable the stabilisation of complex multi-phase and multi-compartment systems.
The Nanostructures at soft interfaces workshop will bring together leading researchers interested in fundamental physical aspects, biological relevance, and technological applications of complex soft interfaces featuring natural or artificial nanoscale inclusions.
Topics of interest include (but are not limited to):

• Membrane biophysics, including adhesion, signalling and transport phenomena
• Artificial membranes for bottom-up synthetic biology and nanomedicine
• Equilibrium and out-of-equilibrium effects in nanostructured soft interfaces
• Interfacial DNA nanotechnology
• Advanced emulsification and compartmentalisation techniques

Who should attend?

This workshop aims to bring together a heterogeneous community interested in various aspects of nanostructured interfaces, with particular emphasis on biological and nano-technological applications. The multidisciplinary nature of this area of research, demonstrated by the variety of topics covered and the diverse interests of the invited speakers, makes it somewhat challenging for the community to come together in traditional biological physics or soft matter venues. The “Nanostructures at Soft Interfaces” workshop is designed to fill this gap, and hence promoting cohesion between researchers at all levels and laying the foundations for collaborative funding bids such as Research Council Programme Grants and CDTs.

Programme

The workshop will include 4 sessions with invited and (short) contributed oral presentations:
1) Bottom-up synthetic biology and compartmentalisation techniques
2) Biological membranes and interfaces
3) Soft matter interfaces
4) Interfacial nanotechnology
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A poster session will be held during the lunch break.​

Confirmed invited speakers include: 
Professor Oscar Ces, Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, UK
Professor  Pietro Cicuta, Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, UK
Dr. Valeria Garbin, Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, UK
Professor Ulrich Keyser, Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, UK

Abstracts

Contributions for oral and/or poster presentations are invited. Abstracts of a maximum of 500 words should be submitted online by 7 November 2018. To submit an abstract, please go here: 

Abstract submission

Registration

​To register and purchase accommodation, please go here:

Register here

Key dates: ​

• Early registration deadline: 16 November 2018
• Registration deadline: 29 November 2018

Directions

The workshop will take place at:
Maxwell Centre, University of Cambridge
Cavendish Laboratory, 
JJ Thomson Avenue, 
Cambridge 
CB3 0HE

View Maxwell Laboratory on a google maps