Molecules to Machines: Emergent Behavior of Active Filaments

This workshop is open for applications until June 15 via the “Register” button on this page. Participation is subject to selection by the workshop organisers, and applicants will be notified of the outcome by June 22.

Self-driven or active polymers and filaments are ubiquitous in biology across length scales, from chromatin in the nucleus to cytoskeletal filaments such as actin and microtubules, and from motile filamentous cyanobacteria to macroscopic worms. Inspired by these systems, synthetic analogs such as biomimetic robotic worms and robotic grippers or active materials based on cytoskeletal filaments have been developed. These systems display diverse structural and dynamic behaviors, both individually and collectively: examples include spiral and helical conformations, vortex formation in motor-driven microtubules, coexisting ordered states in actin-myosin networks, morphogenesis of cyanobacterial colonies during blooms, dynamical neural-motor loops in C. elegans, and emergent collective locomotion in worm blobs.

The goal of this workshop is to bring together leading scientists from multiple fields to identify common features of active filament systems, clarify the mechanisms driving their self-organization, and define overarching open questions. In doing so, it addresses a shared challenge across soft and active matter physics, biophysics, chemistry, and robotics: identifying unifying principles that link microscopic activity and mechanical properties to emergent collective behavior across diverse natural and engineered systems.

During this workshop, particular emphasis will be placed on principles of regulation, adaptation, and design in soft, entangled materials, how collectives balance resilience and compliance in response to external stimuli across scales, and on how these principles can be leveraged to develop adaptive soft robots, enabling functionalities such as gentle grasping and reconfigurable actuation.