Soft Matter Blog

Bhuvnesh Bharti is an Anding Endowed Associate Professor in the Cain Department of Chemical Engineering at Louisiana State University. He received his B.S. (Hons. School) and M.S. (Hons. School) from Panjab University Chandigarh, India. He obtained his PhD at Technische Universität Berlin, Germany in 2012, which was followed by postdoctoral research at Shinshu University and North Carolina State University. Bhuvnesh is the recipient of several awards including Springer Theses Award (2014), NSF-CAREER Award (2020) and LSU Rising Faculty Research Award (2021). His research group investigates structure-property-function relationships in colloidal dispersions and develops methodologies to program their equilibrium and non-equilibrium behaviours. His present research interests include active colloids, directed assembly, and fundamental investigations on environmental colloidal pollutants such as microplastics.

Find more about his work via:

Group website: https://faculty.lsu.edu/bbhartigroup/index.php

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/b-bharti 

Read Bhuvnesh Bharti’s Emerging Investigator article: http://xlink.rsc.org/?doi=10.1039/D3SM00354J

How do you feel about Soft Matter as a place to publish research on this topic?                                                                                        

We are always excited to submit our work to Soft Matter. It is a reputable, and well-established avenue for publishing our research. With its wide readership invested in soft matter science and related disciplines, it offers an invaluable platform to maximize the visibility and impact of our work. I believe that Soft Matter plays an important role in advancing the field as a whole by providing us a platform to contribute to the collective understanding of soft materials and their properties.

What aspect of your work are you most excited about at the moment and what do you find most challenging about your research?

Currently, one of the major thrusts in our research group is on investigating the behaviour of colloids driven by external electric and magnetic fields. We believe that field-driven colloidal matter occupies an intriguing intersection between traditional synthetic materials and the dynamic machinery found in out-of-equilibrium biological systems. The ability to energize colloidal particles using external fields provides an opportunity to uncover the fundamental principles underlying the assembly and functionality of biomaterials. This knowledge can be harnessed to design functional materials with customizable physicochemical properties. However, the research area of field-driven colloids presents several challenges that require attention to achieve a comprehensive understanding of these systems. Key among these challenges, from my perspective, is the precise control of colloidal structure and dynamics in three-dimensional space, as well as predicting their complex behaviours and emergent properties. Additionally, practical applications necessitate addressing scalability, robustness, and controlled responses in complex environments. Successfully tackling these challenges will advance our understanding of field-driven colloids and unlock their potential applications.

In your opinion, what are the most important questions to be asked/answered in this field of research?

In our opinion, the single most important question that needs to be addressed in the area of field-driven colloids is: “What are the mechanisms and principles governing the dynamic self-assembly and collective behaviour of field-driven colloidal particles in three-dimensional space?” This question goes beyond surface-level understanding and dives into the intricate processes that dictate how external fields influence the motion, assembly, and interactions of colloidal particles in complex 3D environments. To answer this question, our ongoing research focuses on investigating the intricate interplay between external fields and colloidal dispersions, seeking to unravel the underlying mechanisms that govern their structure and dynamics. We are also exploring the complex interactions between particles themselves, as well as their interactions with the applied field, considering factors such as particle shape, size, and surface properties. By addressing these challenges and gaining a deeper understanding of the principles at play in 3D space, we aim to unlock the full potential of field-driven colloids and open up exciting possibilities for transformative applications in various scientific and technological domains.

Can you share one piece of career-related advice or wisdom with other early career scientists?

Starting an independent research career and establishing a research lab can be intimidating. In my opinion, it’s crucial to prioritize sustainability in our scientific careers. This means focusing not only on research but also educating and mentoring young minds along with maintaining a healthy work-life balance. A successful research career involves more than publishing articles and securing grants—it also encompasses mentoring, graduate student training, and education. While achieving work-life balance is challenging, it’s essential to make an effort to maintain this equilibrium for the well-being of yourself and your loved ones.

Dr Stefan Guldin is Professor of Adaptive & Responsive Nanomaterials and Deputy Head (Enterprise) of the Department of Chemical Engineering at University College London. He studied Physics at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (2003-05) and the Technical University of Munich (2005-08) and graduated with a PhD from the University of Cambridge in 2012 (Advisor: Prof Ulli Steiner; thesis title: Inorganic nanoarchitectures by organic self-assembly). Subsequently, Dr Guldin carried out postdoctoral research as a scholar of the German Academy of Sciences at EPFL (Advisor: Prof Francesco Stellacci) before taking up his current position in 2015. His research interests include the study of material formation on the nanoscale by molecular self-assembly, creation of adaptive and responsive materials architectures and translation into real-world applications, ranging from chemical sensors and biomedical diagnostics to electrochemical devices and optical coatings. For his work, Dr Guldin has received awards by the Institute of Physics, German Academy of Sciences, the German National Academic Foundation, Springer Publishing and the European Materials Research Society. He is co-founder of the biomed start-up Vesynta, which is devoted to the development of companion drug monitoring solutions for personalised medicine with currently 6 full-time employees. His educational platform qTLC.app, which enables researchers to conduct analytical chemistry with a smartphone, is used in 47 countries across 6 continents.

Find more about Stefan’s work via:

Website: www.ucl.ac.uk/responsive-nanomaterials

Twitter: @AdReNa_Lab

Read Stefan Guldin’s Emerging Investigator article http://xlink.rsc.org/?doi=10.1039/D2SM01348G

How do you feel about Soft Matter as a place to publish research on this topic?

While there is such a broad choice now, Soft Matter remains one of my favourite journals. The reason is quite simple – its quality of peer review remains unmatched. Every article that has gone through the publication process with Soft Matter significantly improved in response to the reviewers’ comments. The depth of responses and enthusiasm for science that often resonates from Soft Matter reviewers shows that the journal is able to recruit some of the most knowledgeable subject experts that are willing to give their time and brain power to the community.

Can you share one piece of career-related advice or wisdom with other early career scientists?

When building a research group from scratch, it can be tempting to go after every opportunity for growth. It is very important that you are creating synergies between your group members and building up a core expertise in specific materials systems and characterisation techniques. This will allow you to build your own profile and become attractive for collaborations. While you may be perfectly able to go very broad even early on, this will rarely be recognised by your community.

Rahul Mangal is presently an Associate Professor in the department of Chemical Engineering at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur. He received his PhD in 2016 from Cornell University on structural and dynamical investigation of nanoparticle polymer composites. Subsequently he did a Post Doc at University of Wisconsin Madison. After joining IIT Kanpur in 2017, his research group has been focusing on experimental investigation of several fundamental problems in areas such as Active Soft Matter, Polymers and their composites and Liquid Crystals. Rahul’s research contributions have been rewarded with several accolades including Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE) Young Engineering Award 2020 and 1979 Batch Young Researcher fellowship by IIT Kanpur. Additionally, he serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of ACS Applied Polymer Physics.

Find more about Rahul’s work via

Twitter: @mangalr

Read Rahul Mangal’s Emerging Investigator article http://xlink.rsc.org/?doi=10.1039/D3SM00228D

How do you feel about Soft Matter as a place to publish research on this topic?

Ever since I started my academic career, I have held Soft Matter in high esteem because of its broad readership and interdisciplinary authorship in fields such as colloids and interfaces, polymers, emulsions etc. Furthermore, Soft Matter is known to have a rigorous peer-review process enabling it to publish high-quality research which enjoys a wide reach and strong reputation in the scientific community. For these reasons I strongly consider Soft Matter to be an excellent platform to showcase our novel findings of deforming active motion of droplets in a viscoelastic environment.

What aspect of your work are you most excited about at the moment and what do you find most challenging about your research?

Artificially propelling droplets are very exciting active soft matter systems which have become a captivating subject of scientific interest due to their potential to emulate biological motion and function as advanced cargo transporters. However, the current understanding of their motion is mostly confined to uncomplicated Newtonian environments. Presently, we are excited that through comprehensive investigations, our recent research has delved into the behaviour of these droplets in non-Newtonian environments leading to the discovery of several novel phenomena, including the deforming active motion presented in this study. Considering that these non-equilibrium systems are rather new, several fundamental aspects about their behaviour are not known yet, therefore, the understanding of the complex underlying physics behind their intriguing phenomena remains a major challenge.

In your opinion, what are the most important questions to be asked/answered in this field of research?

In my opinion, a crucial question that still requires an answer is how we can achieve complete command over artificial swimmers to utilize them as efficient cargo carriers and diagnostic agents in microscopic environments. To tackle this issue, current scientific endeavours are focused on comprehending the behaviour of these swimmers in diverse and intricate settings, with the ultimate goal of enabling their deliberate navigation.

Can you share one piece of career-related advice or wisdom with other early career scientists?

When starting out as a new academic, it is common to receive numerous advice from various sources. However, the most effective approach is to stay true to our own interests and zeal while keeping things uncomplicated. Initiating a new research group and exploring uncharted territory can be daunting, but perseverance typically pays off in the end.