Important Update on the 2022 Season

For information regarding updates to GRC's 2022 schedule and COVID-19 policies, please click here.

Colloidal, Macromolecular and Polyelectrolyte Solutions

Gordon Research Conference

Engineered Response in Soft Matter

February 2 - 7, 2020

Chairs Ilona Kretzschmar and Patrick T. Spicer

Vice Chairs Sibani Lisa Biswal and Ronald G. Larson

Four Points Sheraton / Holiday Inn Express

1050 Schooner Drive

Ventura, CA, United States

Venue and Travel Information

Conference Description

Colloidal, Macromolecular and Polyelectrolyte Solutions are the basis for a multitude of natural and synthetic materials that impact our daily lives. An aspect of many applications of complex mixtures of these materials is their response to a wide range of stimuli. Examples include a mechanical response to move a soft robot, mimicry of bacteria by inorganic particles, and even a voltage response in a flow battery. New technologies blur the lines between engineering and biology and point to convergent solutions to major global challenges in the fields of manufacturing, energy, and medicine. The fundamentals of small-scale structures and the large-scale application of materials and solutions, united by an engineered response, will be the theme of the 2020 Gordon Research conference on Colloidal, Macromolecular and Polyelectrolyte Solutions.

Related Meeting

This GRC will be held in conjunction with the "Colloidal, Macromolecular and Polyelectrolyte Solutions (GRS)" Gordon Research Seminar (GRS). Those interested in attending both meetings must submit an application for the GRS in addition to an application for the GRC. Refer to the associated GRS program page for more information.

Conference Program

Sunday
4:00 pm - 8:00 pm	Arrival and Check-in
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm	Dinner
7:30 pm - 7:40 pm	Introductory Comments by GRC Site Staff / Welcome from the GRC Chair
7:40 pm - 9:30 pm	Models and Mechanics of Soft Systems Discussion Leader: Marco Caggioni (The Procter & Gamble Company, USA)
7:40 pm - 8:20 pm	Douglas Holmes (Boston University, USA) "Shape-Shifting Structures"
8:20 pm - 8:35 pm	Discussion
8:35 pm - 9:15 pm	Timothy Atherton (Tufts University, USA) "Sculpting Shape and Shape-Shifting"
9:15 pm - 9:30 pm	Discussion
Monday
7:30 am - 8:30 am	Breakfast
8:30 am - 9:00 am	Group Photo
9:00 am - 12:30 pm	Active and Yielding Matter from the Molecular Perspective Discussion Leader: Ayusman Sen (Pennsylvania State University, USA)
9:00 am - 9:40 am	Valeria Garbin (Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands) "Manipulating Yield-Stress Fluids Using Ultrasound-Activated Microbubbles"
9:40 am - 10:00 am	Discussion
10:00 am - 10:30 am	Coffee Break
10:30 am - 11:10 am	Ya-Wen Chang (Texas Tech University, USA) "Drop Breakup in Yield Stress Fluids and Shape Stabilization with Interfacial and Bulk Elasticity"
11:10 am - 11:30 am	Discussion
11:30 am - 12:10 pm	Yun Liu (National Institute of Standards and Technology / University of Delaware, USA) "Short-Time Dynamics of Protein in Solutions"
12:10 pm - 12:30 pm	Discussion
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm	Lunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pm	Free Time
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm	The GRC Power Hour™ The GRC Power Hour™ is designed to address challenges women face in science and issues of diversity and inclusion. The program supports the professional growth of all members of our communities by providing an open forum for discussion and mentoring. Organizer: Sepideh Razavi (University of Oklahoma, USA)
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm	Poster Session
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm	Dinner
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm	Active Colloids Discussion Leader: Maria Santore (University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA)
7:30 pm - 8:10 pm	Bhuvnesh Bharti (Louisiana State University, USA) "External Field Driven Propulsion of Anisotropic Colloids: From Designer Motion to Functional Benefits"
8:10 pm - 8:30 pm	Discussion
8:30 pm - 9:10 pm	Kyle Bishop (Columbia University, USA) "Colloidal Robotics: Shape-Based Programming of Active Particles"
9:10 pm - 9:30 pm	Discussion
Tuesday
7:30 am - 8:30 am	Breakfast
9:00 am - 12:30 pm	Medicine and Biomaterials Discussion Leader: Esther Garcia-Tunon Blanca (University of Liverpool, United Kingdom)
9:00 am - 9:40 am	Kelly Schultz (Lehigh University, USA) "Cell-Material Interactions: Engineering Materials to Manipulate Cellular Processes"
9:40 am - 10:00 am	Discussion
10:00 am - 10:30 am	Coffee Break
10:30 am - 11:10 am	Ben Boyd (Monash University, Australia) "Generation and Manipulation of Complex Soft Matter in the Gut"
11:10 am - 11:30 am	Discussion
11:30 am - 12:10 pm	Omolola Eniola-Adefeso (University of Michigan, USA) "Role of Cellular and Particle Deformation in Blood Flow: Implication for Disease and Targeting Drug Delivery"
12:10 pm - 12:30 pm	Discussion
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm	Lunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pm	Free Time
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm	Poster Session
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm	Dinner
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm	Biophysics and Biophysical Mechanics Discussion Leader: Jacinta Conrad (University of Houston, USA)
7:30 pm - 8:10 pm	Cait MacPhee (University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom) "Biological Building and Hierarchies"
8:10 pm - 8:30 pm	Discussion
8:30 pm - 9:10 pm	Chiara Neto (The University of Sydney, Australia) "Anti-Fouling and Slippery Properties of Liquid-Infused Surfaces"
9:10 pm - 9:30 pm	Discussion
Wednesday
7:30 am - 8:30 am	Breakfast
9:00 am - 12:30 pm	Colloids, Macromolecules and Polyelectrolytes in Additive Manufacturing Discussion Leader: Carlos Silvera Batista (Vanderbilt University, USA)
9:00 am - 9:40 am	Kris Kilian (University of New South Wales, Australia) "Force Responsive Hydrogels: New Routes to a Dynamic Cell-Biomaterial Interface"
9:40 am - 10:00 am	Discussion
10:00 am - 10:30 am	Coffee Break
10:30 am - 11:10 am	Kira Barton (University of Michigan, USA) "Advancements in High-Resolution Additive Manufacturing"
11:10 am - 11:30 am	Discussion
11:30 am - 12:10 pm	Esther Garcia-Tunon Blanca (University of Liverpool, United Kingdom) "Formulation of Printable Soft Materials for Enhanced Performance in 3D Manufacturing"
12:10 pm - 12:30 pm	Discussion
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm	Lunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pm	Free Time
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm	Poster Session
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm	Dinner
7:00 pm - 7:30 pm	Business Meeting Nominations for the Next Vice Chair; Fill in Conference Evaluation Forms; Discuss Future Site and Scheduling Preferences; Election of the Next Vice Chair
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm	Design and Characterization of Soft Materials Discussion Leader: Gordon Christopher (Texas Tech University, USA)
7:30 pm - 8:10 pm	Norma Alcantar (University of South Florida, USA) "The Implementation of Cactus Mucilage and Cactus Pectin Polysaccharides into Functional Sustainable Systems for Biomedical and Colloidal Applications"
8:10 pm - 8:30 pm	Discussion
8:30 pm - 9:10 pm	Chinedum Osuji (University of Pennsylvania, USA) "Directed Self-Assembly and Chasing Single Crystals in Soft Matter"
9:10 pm - 9:30 pm	Discussion
Thursday
7:30 am - 8:30 am	Breakfast
9:00 am - 12:30 pm	Energy Generation and Storage Discussion Leader: Norman Wagner (University of Delaware, USA)
9:00 am - 9:40 am	Nicolas Alvarez (Drexel University, USA) "The Role of Polymer Binder in Colloidal Battery Processing and Electrode Performance"
9:40 am - 10:00 am	Discussion
10:00 am - 10:30 am	Coffee Break
10:30 am - 11:10 am	Jeffrey Richards (Northwestern University, USA) "Electrical Transport in Colloidal Fluids of Conducting Particles"
11:10 am - 11:30 am	Discussion
11:30 am - 12:10 pm	Alexander Couzis (City College of New York, CUNY, USA) "Colloidal Slurry Processing for Battery Manufacturing"
12:10 pm - 12:30 pm	Discussion
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm	Lunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pm	Free Time
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm	Poster Session
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm	Dinner
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm	Biological and Technological Convergence in Soft Matter Discussion Leader: Julie Kornfield (California Institute of Technology, USA)
7:30 pm - 8:10 pm	Jan van Esch (Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands) "Approaching Biological Complexity: Beyond Self-Assembly"
8:10 pm - 8:30 pm	Discussion
8:30 pm - 9:10 pm	Damien Baigl (Ecole Normale Supérieure, France) "Reconfigurable Self-Assembly: From Evolutive DNA Nanomachines to Living Crystals"
9:10 pm - 9:30 pm	Discussion
Friday
7:30 am - 8:30 am	Breakfast
9:00 am	Departure