Soft Matter Blog

Saad Bhamla studies biomechanics across species to engineer knowledge and tools that inspire curiosity.  Saad is an assistant professor of biomolecular engineering at Georgia Tech. A self-proclaimed “tinkerer,” his lab is a trove of discoveries and inventions that span biology, physics and engineering. His current projects include studying the hydrodynamics of insect urine, worm blob locomotion and ultra-low-cost devices for global health. His work has appeared in the New York Times, the Economist, CNN, Wired, NPR, the Wall Street Journal and more.  Saad is a prolific inventor and his most notable inventions includes a 20-cent paper centrifuge, a 23-cent electroporator, and the 96-cent hearing aid.  Saad’s work is recognised by numerous awards including a NIH R35 Outstanding Investigator Award, NSF CAREER Award, CTL/BP Junior Faculty Teaching Excellence Award, and INDEX: Design to Improve Life Award. Saad is also a National Geographic Explorer and a TED speaker. Newsweek recognized Saad as 1 of 10 Innovators disrupting healthcare.  Saad is a co-founder of Piezo Therapeutics.

Find more about Saad’s work via:

Group website:  The Bhamla Lab (gatech.edu)

@BhamlaLab

Read Saad Bhamla’s Emerging Investigator article http://xlink.rsc.org/?doi=10.1039/D3SM00542A  

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

I value Soft Matter highly; it has been my go-to for publishing significant works since my early days as a Ph.D. student in 2014 (first paper as a Ph.D. was in Soft Matter). The journal fosters visibility and collaboration in the diverse field of soft matter, a reason I have published four papers here and continue to return.

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

I am particularly excited about our exploration of living worms (L. Variegatus and T. Tubifex in collaboration with the Deblais group), as a model to study entangled polymer dynamics, topology, and soft robotics. These organisms assemble into “worm blobs,” active three-dimensional entities that exhibit both solid and liquid properties, dynamically responding to stimuli such as light. This venture into the world of active, polymer-like entities opens up avenues to investigate a range of emergent behaviors, offering a rich experimental platform. The integration of diverse fields and communicating these interdisciplinary findings effectively remain substantial challenges.

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

We are at a juncture where we are redefining principles of soft matter physics, incorporating activity into concepts such as entanglement and polymer rheology. The worm blobs stand as a promising experimental platform, urging us to revisit and potentially reshape the field by probing the physics of out-of-equilibrium polymers, a fascinating area with many questions to explore.

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

I often remind my students to be the best versions of themselves, encouraging them to trust their scientific instincts and not to shy away from hard and seemingly impossible problems. As the saying goes, “The difficult we do immediately; the impossible takes a little longer.”

My research combines experimentation and theory, focusing on a broad spectrum of themes in hydrodynamics, soft and active matter. This includes hydrodynamic singularities in simple and complex fluids, rheology, and the collective behaviours of active matter systems. I received my PhD in 2016 from the University of Bordeaux in France and then worked as a postdoc in the Soft Matter group at the University of Amsterdam. Subsequently, I joined the Unilever Food Innovation Centre in the Netherlands, where I worked as a Marie Curie Fellow on the relationship between the rheology of foodstuffs and consumer perception. Since 2021, I have been leading my research group as part of the Soft Matter group in Amsterdam, where we investigate the physics of active polymers in various situations, and the rich behaviours that emerge from their collective interactions.

Find more about Antoine’s work via:

Group website:  Deb’Lab (deb-lab.com)

@AntoineDeblais

Read Antoine’s Emerging Investigator article http://xlink.rsc.org/?doi=10.1039/D3SM00542A  

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

Soft Matter has established itself as a journal within the realm of soft active matter research, bridging the gap between soft matter physics, chemistry, and biophysics. Given the interdisciplinary nature of our work in collaboration with Saad Bhamla’s group, which explores this innovative class of living particles, we believe that Soft Matter is the ideal platform to disseminate our findings. Our research not only appeals to those in the classical polymer physics community but also captivates the interest of individuals exploring the fascinating intersections of active matter and biophysics. As such, we feel that our contributions will find a receptive and engaged audience among the diverse readership of Soft Matter.

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

We are currently very excited about our pioneering work introducing these novel living polymer-like particles as an experimental platform for exploring fundamental questions on active polymers. The lack of experimental systems available for active polymers, especially ones available in substantial quantities, makes our research particularly exciting. These living worms exhibit a captivating array of characteristics, and we believe there is still much to uncover in this area.

What we find most challenging about our research is broadening our reach to engage a wider audience of soft matter physicists. While we have demonstrated the suitability of these systems for addressing fundamental questions related to active polymers, expanding our impact and dissemination of findings within the soft matter community remains a current challenge. Nevertheless, we are enthusiastic about the potential to bridge well-established theories for passive polymers with the unique framework provided by these living particles, paving the way for further advancements in our understanding of active polymers.

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

In my opinion, the field of active matter research should prioritize addressing two critical questions. First, understanding how interactions and activities among individual particles lead to emergent behaviours and properties is central not only to our field but also to unravelling the unique characteristics of biological tissues, cells, and life itself. Second, within the domain of active flexible polymer systems, identifying the fundamental principles and mechanisms responsible for emergent behaviours represents a significant yet unanswered question. Particularly the combined role of activity and topology. These questions form the foundation for advancing our comprehension of complex systems in both biological, synthetic and robotics contexts.

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

Here’s a piece of (modest) career-related advice for fellow early-career scientists: foster your creativity and wholeheartedly believe in what you do. With patience and perseverance, your research efforts will yield valuable results over time. Additionally, don’t hesitate to seek guidance and mentorship from more experienced and senior scientists. Their insights, advice, and constructive feedback can be invaluable on your journey. Building these mentorship relationships can provide valuable direction and accelerate your professional growth.