Cells, even in their simplest forms, exhibit adaptive motion and task execution, capabilities underpinned by their complex and hierarchized architecture, and their ability to dissipate energy. Replicating such intricate behavior at the microscale offers a pathway to uncover the fundamental physical and material ingredients required for biological complexity, while also inspiring the design of...
Magnetic nanobeads, whose dimensions match those of biological agents, show great promise as wirelessly controlled microrobots in fluid environments. Particle tracking experiments reveal that their motion departs from classical diffusion, influenced by interrelated confinement, dipolar interactions, and temperature, affecting magnetic actuation. Our results underscore the challenges of...
Living matter gets its function from soft interactions, multivalency, and constant exchange with the environment, operating far from equilibrium. By applying these principles to synthetic systems, we can create biomaterials that self-assemble, adapt, and respond in biologically inspired ways. This approach supports the development of polymersomes and similar nanoscale structures, whose...
