• New method to mechanically detect biological materials, including extracellular vesicles (EV) in saliva samples. These EV are important in the detection of cancer, making a new method to detect them quickly, and none invasively interesting for the treatment of cancer. This research from Professor Kislon Voïtchovsy, Dr Clodomiro Cafolla et al included collaborators from RMIT University (Melbourne) as well as Durham’s Department of Physics. Find out more here.
• An international team, including the BSI’s Professor Suzanne Fielding have developed a new rheological continuum model for biological tissue. The model couples cell shape to flow and captures both the tissue solid-liquid transition and its linear and nonlinear rheology and provides a useful framework for modelling the rheology of biological tissue. Find out more here.
• The physical principles that govern how and when hydraulic pressure causes fracturing of membranes has never been fully explored before. These fractures have a major role in many cell development and differentiation processes, and are involved during the development of embryos. A collaboration between Dr Margarita Staykova (Durham Physics), Professor Marino Arroyo (Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology) and colleagues from the University of Cambridge and Imperial College London has studied this exciting phenomenon. The team identified rules governing the fracturing, which work in alongside with a cell’s biochemical regulation to allow careful control of these processes. Find out more about this research here.

Art-Science Collaborations - Interfacing  

This new video by artist Daksha Patel explores BSI research into membranes and interfaces. The video combines original artwork generated by creative coding methods, experimental data and the voices of scientists describing what is happening in this exciting research area. 

Daksha Patel is a multi-disciplinary artist who works across a wide range of media, materials and technologies. Her works explore multiple areas of scientific research including biophysics, biomedical science and applied mathematics. In 2020 she was awarded the ‘Brian Cox Prize for Excellence in Public Engagement with Research’. 

Interfacing was created following conversations with Margarita Staykova and members of her research group where they shared their insights and what drives them to explore this fascinating area of research. Daksha was particularly interested in hearing from scientists about unexpected outcomes in experiments, chance and creativity in their work. The final video is a dynamic interplay between striking visual imagery and the voices of BSI scientists Margarita Staykova, Kislon Voitchovsky, and Alex Brown.  

We are thrilled to announce that Interfacing has been selected for the 17th edition of the Science New Wave Festival, presented by Imagine Science Films, which takes place in New York from October 18-25, 2024. 

SOFI CDT

The EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Soft Matter and Functional Interfaces (SOFI CDT) was launched in 2014 and led by Professor Tom McLeish FRS. Now in its second iteration SOFI2, it is led by Professor Colin Bain (Durham Chemistry) and brings together expertise from the universities of Durham, Edinburgh and Leeds and from a wide range of industrial partners.

Physics of Emergent Behaviour (PoEB) IV conference

The 4^th edition of the IOP PoEB conference was held in Harrogate (UK) after the 2023 Physics of Life conference. The organising committee included the BSI’s Dr Margarita Staykova (Durham Physics) and the theme of the meeting was the diverse types of phase transitions found in biology.