The non-axisymmetric chiral squirmer [1], implemented within a Lattice Boltzmann code tailored for complex fluid dynamics [2], serves as a versatile tool to study the emergent behavior of microswimmer suspensions. Utilizing this model, we delve into the characterization of interactions between pairs of squirmers and explore their behavior in proximity to solid walls, as well as within the...
Cholesteric phases are liquid crystals in which a helical twist can be induced by the presence of a chiral agent. This twist, with a periodicity or pitch (p), can be frustrated under geometrical confinement comparable to p. Under those conditions, skyrmions can be formed if the material undergoes an instability. Skyrmions are topologically protected solitonic-like structures [1-3], formed by...
The atomic force microscope (AFM) is gaining progressive attention for its capability to provide maps of biophysical properties of adhered micro- and nanostructures at high spatial resolution (in the nanometre range), and in live conditions (buffers, cell media). In the biomedical community, these properties are much less explored than other type of characterization based on genetics and...
Metabolic processes are crucial for sustaining life, involving the cyclic synthesis (anabolism) and degradation (catabolism) of chemical and supramolecular structures through the expense of chemical energy [1]. These highly dynamic structures which form under out-of-equilibrium (OOE) conditions define the hallmark features of life such as adaptivity and spatiotemporal control [2]. At the...
