Active matter is characterised by persistent out-of-equilibrium behaviour, lack of detailed balance and of time-reversal symmetry, nonlinearity, and multibody interactions.
The flow behavior of complex fluids in microfluidic systems is often determined by confinement effects of individual macromolecules and cells.
Colloidal suspensions consist of a medium in which particles are dispersed which have a typical size within the range of 10-1000 nm.
Hydrodynamic flows play an important role in the dynamics of soft matter systems.
Membranes are thin two dimensional sheets of which the conformation is determined by the curvature and shear elasticity.
Polymers are large linear, branched or ring-like molecules which are build up from a repeating sequence of building blocks.
Blood is a very special fluid, consisting of blood cells and plasma. Its motion and flow properties are governed by the elasticity of the cells and their interactions.
The motion of biological (e.g. bacteria, sperm, algae) and synthetic (e.g. nanorods, Janus colloids) microswimmers is governed by low Reynolds-number hydrodynamics.
Cells are complex micromachines, with an active cytoskeleton and many metabolic processes. They excert forces on their environment, migrate, and react to external stimuli.
The sensing of the environment, the processing of gathered information, and the adaptation of motion are essential capabilities of living and robotic systems alike.
