Hyderabad Soft Matter Day, 2024

A one-day symposium initiated at IIT Hyderabad in the year 2023, Hyderabad Soft Matter Day brings together researchers from multiple scientific institutions in the city to discuss latest developments in soft and active matter. This year, the symposium is being held at TIFR Hyderabad. Here are some highlights from the event. (From thread on https://twitter.com/TIFRH_buzz)

– Smarajit Karmakar (TIFR Hyderabad) pointed out that non-equilibrium glassy dynamics driven by active processes (as seen in a flock of birds or a group of cells moving collectively) show enhanced dynamic heterogeneity when compared to glassy systems which are in equilibrium.

– Prathit Chatterjee (IIIT Hyderabad) discussed his approach towards developing protein-ligand binding affinity datasets that take into account the dynamic interactions of these complexes. He uses these datasets to train ML models that could potentially aid in drug discovery.

_{^{(L-R): Smarajit Karmakar, Prathit Chatterjee}}

– Loss of membrane associated mucins on the cornea lead to unstable tear films and are associated with diseased conditions such as pink eye (where the no. of dry spots observed on the eye increase). Harish N Dixit (IIT Hyderabad) explores a fluid-mechanical basis of this link.

– Debashis Barik (University of Hyderabad) explores how two stem cell populations require different signalling levels to go from a quiescent to a proliferative state. Although the two cell populations are similar in genetic make-up, what factors push these cells towards different fates?

– Shambojit Roy (BITS Hyderabad) discussed the development of in vitro models (which mimic a tumour microenvironment) to take a closer look at the migration of engineered immune cells towards cancerous cells.

_{^{(L-R): Harish N Dixit, Debashis Barik, Shambojit Roy}}

– Glimpses from the symposium:

– Poster sessions:

Content: Anusheela Chatterjee