Active and Living Matter

From swimming cells and living tissues to microscopic particles and robots, active matter describes systems that continuously consume energy to move, interact, and organise themselves. This gives rise to fascinating phenomena such as collective motion, self-organisation, and unusual mechanical behaviour.

In the Soft Matter group, we investigate how active and living systems behave, from the mechanics of biological materials to coordinated motion in robotic systems and propulsion through complex environments. Our goal is to understand the fundamental interactions between active and passive matter.