Abstract
Life thrives due to its remarkable ability to create complex structures through the self-assembly of proteins, nucleic acids, and other biomolecules, that achieve advanced function through dynamic conformational changes. Achieving such complex assemblies with the same level of fidelity, reproducibility, and advanced functionality in synthetic systems, however, has remained a grand challenge. In this talk, I will discuss our recent work in developing novel experimental platforms to address these challenges. First, I show how we implement a proofreading strategy for high-yield, time-efficient self-assembly by programming magnetic interactions between microscopic particles. Second, I will show how we combine programmable magnetic interactions and elastic hinges to create devices with controlled energy landscapes, which can then be actuated through work cycles using an external magnetic field. Our experimental platforms form simple experimental paradigms for nonequilibrium materials, bridging the gap between artificial and biological self-assembly, and pave the way for advanced functional materials.
Melody Xuan Lim is a Kavli Institute postdoctoral fellow at the Cornell University Department of Physics. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in physics from Duke University, where she worked with Robert Behringer on dense granular suspensions. She then earned her PhD in Physics from the University of Chicago, where she was an Eckhardt Fellow, and received the Yodh prize for her thesis work with Heinrich Jaeger on acoustically levitated granular materials.