School of Physics & Astronomy Institute for Condensed Matter & Complex Systems Hard, soft and biological matter Experiment, theory, simulation working together Interdisciplinarity Themes: Hard: extreme conditions Soft: model systems Biological: multiscale

Quantum Ordering: Looking for new electronic states of matter Making high-purity single crystals of new materials State of the art low- temperature measurements at extreme conditions (10mK, 17 T, 10 GPa, two- axis rotation) Low temperature measurements and experiments at central facilities ISIS(UK), FRM2 (Ger), LLB (Fra), ILL (Fra) seek locateelucidate Growing UGe 2 Mapping the Phase diagram of YbNiSn Neutron Scattering at ILL

“Metals” at Extremes: Transparent Sodium & Black Lithium PNAS 104, (2007); Science 320, 1054 (2008); PRB 79, (2009) Shiny oP8 122GPaBlack tI19 128GPa Transparent hP4 178GPa Black Li 125GPa Melting T of sodium at 118GPa is just 305K. Minimum is associated with 6 complex phases. Detailed study at Diamond and ESRF (High-P Na was first paper from Diamond) Further compression of shiny metallic Na leads first to dark semimetal and then to transparent insulator at ~180GPa Reflected light Transmitted light Lithium is a black semiconductor above 100GPa. We have grown single crystals & are determining atomic structure at ESRF.

Understanding the flow of concentrated suspensions Rewrites the textbooks Unique imaging under flow PRL (2007) (Prog Grant + NSF/EPSRC Materials) Flow profile in capillary ≠ ‘yield stress fluid’ Instabilities induced by confinement Implications for microfluidics of suspensions Knowledge transfer & commercialisation EPSRC Follow-on grant for imaging module Exploring application to chocolate (Please don’t tell anyone!!) Mode coupling theory Advection of modes of density fluctuation The only ab initio theory of colloid rheology PRL (2007) PRL (2007, 2008)

STRUCTURE AND FORMATION Bijels are gels comprising bicontinuous water and oil domains. Bicontinuous structure formed by the arrest of (spinodal) phase separation by interfacially trapped particles. Encapsulation of bijel in Pickering droplets (bijel capsules). APPLICATIONS Delivery of incompatible ingredients (e.g. sun cream) Triggered release (T sensitive) Controlled delivery of components (e.g. toothpaste) Unique sensory properties (skin, hair) Unique spreading properties Solar cells Designer interfacial electro-optical properties Motor A BIJEL (Simulation) Science (2005) Bicontinuous Interfacially Jammed Emulsion Gel A BIJEL (Confocal) Nature Materials (2007) A BIJEL CAPSULE EPSRC Programme grant (including computer simulations) EPSRC Follow on fund Scottish Enterprise PoC FUNDING ROUTE oil particles water Bijels: a new soft solid

Protein self-assembly: nanomaterials, cataract, foodstuffs, and beyond Soft Matter (2009) 5: J Am Chem Soc. (2009) 131: EMBO J (2002) 21: EPSRC Programme Grant & EPSRC-funded studentships An understanding of the physics driving biological self-assembly underpins our knowledge of disease, the development of new materials, and inspires (bio)nanotechnology. A mouse eye lens shows inappropriate protein self-assembly leading to heritable cataract Adding fluorophores yields self- assembled light-harvesting (bio)nanofibres for optoelectronics AFM image of self-assembled protein fibres A laboratory-produced pickled egg made up of self-assembled proteins: transparent, robust, and stable for weeks Protein self-assembly mechanism MacPhee Group, Physics and Life Sciences

Bacteria Physics: from cells to ecosystems E. Coli motility New methods to measure swimming speed u body rotation rate  flagella rotation rate  averaged over ~ 4000 bugs in < 2 minutes Non-monotonic dependence of u on concentration in polymer solutions Pond mud = microbial ecosystem Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE)  Community structure [Programme Grant + Senior Fellowship + RSE fellowship] Extract DNA Theory and simulations Predict? [Leverhulme + Programme Grant] Wider programme on the statistical physics of interacting agents: trees, farmers, etc. [EPSRC NANIA, etc.] Spread of neolithic farming PNAS