12/13/2023 0 Comments Lego blacksmithAt all times, the aggregates were spinning clockwise, but very slowly. Moreover, the observation of these newly formed clusters showed an intriguing singularity. The swimming bacteria effectively amplified the motion of the beads, resulting in the formation of aggregations and gel-like structures. But because it is made by bacteria, and it is not a real oven, it remains gentle enough to be used with gels and soft materials without burning them." The building blocks were microscopic particles in the form of sticky colloids-round beads that stick together when in contact. coli bacteria as an active agent, as their swimming movement provided energy and some kind of agitation-'temperature' for a physicist, equivalent to 2000 ☌, similar to the one needed to craft metals. Palacci's student, Daniel Grober, took on this challenge and started to construct such an active bath with characteristics inspired by metallurgy. However, until now, an approach where for instance bacteria is used to forge, had never been explored. In principle, with this extra energy, you can hope to control the assembly and properties of materials-the way the blacksmith forges. This results in what is known as an "active bath", where the agent acts like a small fire. To introduce order amidst the chaos, adding an "active agent" to the water is beneficial. A phenomenon first rationalized by Einstein in 1905 and known as Brownian motion. Typically, when these building blocks are suspended in water, they jiggle due to temperature, which provides the energy for the particles to hop back and forth randomly. We try to understand how these components come together and form larger structures," he explains. "Our work revolves around tiny 'Lego'-like building blocks that are a hundred times smaller than a hair. In Jérémie Palacci's research group at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria, it is all about microscopic particles. It translates ideas from metallurgy-the fine art of blacksmithing, where cycles of high temperature and slow cooling set a material's structure-into soft materials, using the activity from a bath of swimming bacteria. The study shows a novel experimental strategy to fabricate materials from small building blocks. Together, this dynamic all-ISTA trio embarked on a collaborative effort that now reaches its pinnacle with a paper published today in Nature Physics. Their concept captivated Ivan Palaia, a postdoc in Anđela Šarić's group, who decided to join the task force. Fueled by their shared passion for science and climbing, discussions at the gym turned into a paper-pen model of Grober's experiment. Such was the case for ISTA's Daniel Grober, a graduate student in the research group of physicist Jérémie Palacci, who had been working on how to assemble materials leveraging the energy of swimming bacteria, and Mehmet Can Uçar, a postdoc in Edouard Hannezo's group. Sometimes they emerge from the most unexpected places, like a boulder gym in Vienna. You never know when dazzling ideas will strike you. A recent study in Nature Physics shows us how this works and the potential sustainability benefits that may arise from this innovative approach. Researchers at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) take it to the next level and use the energy of swimming bacteria to forge materials. For scientists, it is also where molecules or tiny building blocks meet to form materials. Institute of Science and Technology AustriaĪ hot bath is a place to relax.
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