Department of Applied Physics

Soft Matter and Biological Physics

Enabling a sustainable, functional and resource-efficient next generation of materials by uncovering the physical mechanisms underlying the behavior of soft and biological matter. 

 

[Translate to English:]

Materials you can trust with your life  

We study the fundamental processes that organize the assembly, the structure and the mechanical properties of biological and other soft materials. Fundamental and applied research reinforce each other: We figure out how these materials work, and use these insights to develop bio-inspired design strategies to improve and disrupt the development of man-made materials.

Book Molecular Theory of Nematic (and Other) Liquid Crystals - Author Paul van der Schoot

  • Provides a simple and concise introduction to the statistical mechanics of liquid crystals

  • Starts from (classical) Density Functional Theory (DFT) and continues for Onsager and Maier-Saupe theories

  • Focused entirely on molecular theories of why nematic phases arise

Our PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS

Soft Matter and Biological Physics comprises 6 sub groups.

Janne-Mieke Meijer

Colloidal Soft Matter

The colloidal soft matter group of Janne-Mieke Meijer focuses on complex colloids and their self-assembly to understand how building block…

Alexey Lyulin

Multiscale Simulations of Polymer Dynamics

Dr. Alexey Lyulin performs Multiscale Simulations of Polymer Dynamics at the Soft Matter and Biological Physics research group

Liesbeth Janssen

Non-Equilibrium Soft Matter

The Non-Equilibrium Soft Matter group of Liesbeth Janssen focuses on the behavior of materials that are inherently out of thermodynamic…

Wouter Ellenbroek

Responsive Soft Matter

The Responsive Soft Matter group of Wouter Ellenbroek is devoted to theoretical research (including computer simulations) of responsive soft…

Paul van der Schoot

Self Assembly in Soft- and Biomatter

Cornelis Storm

Theoretical Biophysics

FEATURE (READING TIME 10 MIN) THE GLASS PHASE: A PHYSICS MYSTERY

In physics the glass phase is deemed to be a special form of a solid. While the material feels hard, it lacks a regular crystalline structure. Physicists still cannot explain the transition from a liquid to this special solid form. Solving this mystery will bring numerous applications within reach. Fast-working computer chips, for example, or recyclable plastic. The glass phase can even help us better understand asthma and cancer metastasis.

Work with us!

Please check out the TU/e Vacancies page for further opportunities within our group. 

 

Green tyres: Building better rubbers with biomaterials

In recent years a significant driver for global growth in (amorphous) polymer materials has been the innovative production and use of plastics in new application areas such as sustainable energy, automotive, rail, naval, transport, construction and infrastructure, defence and aerospace, medical and healthcare, electronics and telecommunication. Using dynamic computer simulations, our goal is to provide physical insights for predicting the morphology and thermomechanical properties of nanocomposites with bio and inorganic fillers, from their atomic-level characteristics. One example is the use of biopolymers (PLA) to create better rubbers for ‘green tyres’.

News

Vincent Debets. Photo: Bart van Overbeeke
July 7, 2023
Moving cancer cells in a model
PhD candidate Vincent Debets investigated which elements are important for the movement behavior of a cancer cell.
Read more
[Translate to English:]
June 29, 2023
Prestigious Vidi-grant for four TU/e researchers
The origins of self-assembly, data visualization, increasing access to affordable medicines, and ultrasound imaging are the topics to receive the NWO funding.
Read more
More news
(from left to right) Assistant professors Peter Ruijten-Dodoiu, Wouter Ellenbroek and Rob Mestrom. Photo: Bart van Overbeeke Photo edit: Pantelis Katsis
‘Don't be ashamed of wanting to excel as an educator’
April 3, 2023
New theory to describe dynamics of glass-forming liquids
January 17, 2023
‘Dreaming big in a department to be proud of’
October 10, 2022
Truly revealing when a material becomes ‘glassy’
January 4, 2022

Active materials: swimmers, cells, switching?

Active matter provides a new paradigm for understanding non-equilibrium behavior in living systems, as well as for designing responsive and bio-inspired materials with novel functional properties. Using coarse-grained simulations and theory, we study phenomena such as collective cell migration during wound healing, self-organization of active membrane structures, and the solidification and fluidization response of disordered active materials. Applications range from targeted drug delivery to self-healing materials and soft robotics.

Meet some of our Researchers

Associate Professor

Liesbeth Janssen

Full Professor

Paul van der Schoot

Associate Professor

Alexey Lyulin

Assistant Professor

Wouter Ellenbroek

Assistant Professor

Janne-Mieke Meijer

Full Professor emeritus

Thijs Michels

Full Professor
(Part-time)

Bernard Geurts

Hydrogels: from mechanical actuators to drug delivery platforms

Hydrogels are solid materials that consist of almost only water held together by a polymer network. Because these materials are relatively soft they respond strongly to changes in, e.g., temperature, acidity and concentration of salt, and hence are promising candidates for actuators and controlled drug release. We combine simulations with analytical theory to better understand the relation between structure, mechanics, thermodynamics and performance of such networks and gels.

Education

Check out all our courses

Recent Publications

Our most recent peer reviewed publications

Contact