Calendar of MRSEC Events

Since its inception in 2004, MSI has sponsored and hosted an annual symposium for those in the Harvard and greater Boston communities. The event showcases magnificent research across a breadth of microbe-centric topics spanning environmental and biomedical sciences.

More about the 23rd Annual Microbial Sciences Symposium

Invited Talks presented by: TBD

More about the 109th NECF

Flour Bakery, Cambridge, James Beard Award–winning pastry chef and restaurateur, is the owner of Flour Bakery + Café and Myers + Chang in Boston. She is also the author of several acclaimed cookbooks, including Flour, Flour Too, Baking with Less Sugar, and Myers + Chang at Home.

More about the Science and Cooking Public Lecture Series

Arami, La Paz, Bolivian chef and founder of Arami in La Paz, is known for her research-driven approach to Bolivian cuisine and focus on native ingredients and biodiversity. She was named Latin America's Best Female Chef in 2024 after leading the kitchen at Gustu for more than a decade.

More about the Science and Cooking Public Lecture Series

Urban Hearth, Cambridge, founder, owner, and chef of Urban Hearth in Cambridge, is known for her seasonal tasting menus, thoughtful hospitality, and commitment to local sourcing. Classically trained at the French Culinary Institute, she brings together New England ingredients, foraged foods, and strong relationships with local farmers, fishermen, and producers.

More about the Science and Cooking Public Lecture Series

Pitmaster and founder of Bryan Furman BBQ, has achieved national recognition for his smoking expertise and use of Heritage hogs, earning accolades such as Food & Wine Magazine's 2019 Best New Chef and a James Beard Foundation semi finalist nomination, while continuing to expand his culinary influence with restaurants and pop-ups across the U.S. and Europe.

More about the Science and Cooking Public Lecture Series

Clear Flour Bread, Boston, baker and co-owner of Clear Flour Bread in Brookline, is known for her dedication to traditional bread making, pastry, and high-quality ingredients. She has helped carry forward the legacy of one of the Boston area's most respected artisan bakeries.

More about the Science and Cooking Public Lecture Series

Plenary Talks: With Paul Chaikin, New York University; Margaret Gardel, Chicago University; Tuomas Knowles, Cambridge University; Howard Stone, Princeton University

More about WeitzFest II

Abstract: Microtubules are well known for supporting the directed transport of vesicles during interphase and chromosomes during mitosis. However, they are not just tracks for transport; they can also be moved by the forces exerted by molecular motors. In this presentation, we will demonstrate how the interplay between moving microtubules and transported motors can result in the emergence of regular shapes from random mixtures. We will explain how these shapes are maintained in dynamic steady-states by active and polar boundaries. We will also explore the plasticity and adaptation of these boundaries to geometric constraints, as well as their ability to polarise or bipolarise a confined space. Finally, we will discuss the relevance of this process to various forms of intracellular organisation.

More about the Squishy Physics Seminar

Toscanini's, Cambridge, founders of Toscanini's Ice Cream in Cambridge, have helped make the shop a beloved local institution since its founding in 1981. Known for their inventive flavors and small-batch production, they have played a central role in shaping Cambridge's ice cream culture.

More about the Science and Cooking Public Lecture Series

Invited Talks presented by: Jack Barotta (Olin College of Engineering), Leila Deravi (Northeastern University), Daniel Segre (Boston University), and Hyunjun Yang (Brandeis University)

More about the 108th NECF

Abstract: Elastic anisotropy matters in liquid crystals: Unequal elastic constants can visibly reshape equilibrium structure, distort defects, and even provide a route to measuring elastic parameters from the observed fields. In this talk I will show that in nematic liquid crystals these effects reflect a hidden geometric structure, where planar elastic anisotropy defines a spatially rotating anisotropic metric whose natural language is quasiconformal mapping. I will illustrate this idea with explicit constructions for a hybrid-aligned nematic film and for the classical Dzyaloshinskii defect solutions, where the defect closure condition acquires a striking geometric interpretation in terms of an auxiliary cone. This viewpoint also suggests new ways to think about defect holonomy, inverse measurements of elastic anisotropy, and connections to liquid-crystal elastomers and other anisotropic media.

More about the Soft Condensed Matter Seminar

Abstract: Coordinated cell rotation along a curved matrix interface can sculpt epithelial tissues into spherical morphologies. Subsequently, radially oriented invasion of multicellular strands or branches can occur by local remodelling of the confining matrix. These symmetry-breaking transitions emerge from the dynamic reciprocity between cells and matrix but remain poorly understood. Here we show that epithelial cell spheroids collectively transition from circumferential orbiting to radial invasion via bidirectional interactions with the surrounding matrix curvature. Initially, spheroids exhibit an ellipsoidal shape but become rounded as orbiting occurs. In turn, orbiting along sharper curvature results in locally stronger contractile tractions, which gradually align collagen fibres in the radial direction. Thus, the initially elongated morphology primes the matrix towards subsequent invasion of two to four strands that are roughly aligned with its major axis. We then show that orbiting can be arrested and invasion can be reversed using osmotic pressure. We also investigate coordinated orbiting in mosaic spheroids, showing that a small fraction of cells with weakened cell–cell adhesions can impede collective orbiting but still invade into the matrix. This work elucidates how symmetry breaking in tissue morphogenesis is governed by the interplay of collective migration and the local curvature of the cell-matrix interface, with relevance for embryonic development and tumour progression.

More about the Squishy Physics Seminar

Silo, London, chef, author, and founder of the world's first zero-waste restaurant, is known for pioneering a closed-loop approach to cooking. His work explores fermentation, sustainability, food waste, and the future of regenerative gastronomy.

More about the Science and Cooking Public Lecture Series

Dave Arnold, Booker and Dax, NYC, founder and author of Liquid Intelligence, host of the podcast Cooking Issues, and founder of the Museum of Food and Drink, is known for his groundbreaking work at the intersection of culinary innovation and science.

Harold McGee, On Food and Cooking, celebrated food science writer and author of On Food and Cooking, Curious Cook, and Nose Dive: A Field Guide to the World's Smells, has shaped the way chefs and home cooks understand the chemistry of food.

More about the Science and Cooking Public Lecture Series

Invited Talks presented by: Jeffrey Guasto (Tufts University), Hyeon Yu Kim (Northeastern University), Hungtang Ko (Tufts University), Joseph Larkin (Boston University), and Rafael Valotta Rodrigues (UMass Boston)

More about the 107th NECF

Abstract: Cells in living tissues are continuously subjected to mechanical forces, including compressive stresses from tumor growth, osmotic gradients in the gut, matrix confinement during development, yet how these physical inputs are transduced into precise biochemical decisions remains incompletely understood. In this talk, I will present a framework in which cell volume serves as a universal mechanical variable that directly regulates biomolecular condensate formation through macromolecular crowding, enabling cells to compute complex environmental information and tune signaling outputs across multiple biological contexts. Using volumetric compression as a controlled physical perturbation, we developed a high-throughput strategy to systematically identify endogenous condensate-forming proteins at physiological expression levels. By coupling osmotic compression with sucrose density gradient ultracentrifugation and quantitative mass spectrometry, we identified over 1,500 phase-separating proteins, including 538 previously unreported candidates, and demonstrated that condensate formation responds dynamically to both mechanical and biochemical stimuli, including TGF-β signaling and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Building on this condensate atlas, I will then describe how volumetric compression acts as a biological operational amplifier for Wnt/β-catenin signaling through the phase separation of AXIN. The presence or absence of Wnt ligands determines the subcellular destination of AXIN condensates, forming either LRP6 signalosomes at the plasma membrane or β-catenin destruction complexes in the cytosol, while compression amplifies the degree of phase separation in either context. This mechano-biochemical circuit produces bidirectional, context-dependent outputs: in healthy intestinal organoids, compression promotes Lgr5+ stem cell self-renewal and organoid growth, whereas in patient-derived colorectal cancer organoids harboring APC mutations, the same mechanical input suppresses pathological β- catenin accumulation and inhibits tumor growth. Importantly, this mechano-condensate framework extends beyond intestinal systems, compressive forces in tumor-adipose assembloids similarly reprogram stromal adipocytes toward a pro-tumorigenic state, suggesting that volume-driven condensate regulation may be a broadly conserved mechanism across diverse organoid and tissue contexts. Together, these findings establish cell volume and its consequence (altered molecular crowding) as a convergence point for diverse mechanical inputs, and position phase separation as a critical molecular mediator linking physical input to biochemical signal processing. This work offers a systems-level framework for understanding mechanoregulation and suggests that mechanical stimuli could be harnessed for precise, context-aware therapeutic intervention.

More about the Squishy Physics Seminar

Abstract: Understanding and controlling the statistical properties of turbulent flows remains a central challenge in physics, particularly because turbulence rapidly tends toward a locally homogeneous and isotropic state at small scales, limiting our ability to design or manipulate it. We explore a strategy based on “smart” magnetic particles that both probe and actively force turbulence at its smallest scales through externally controlled magnetic fields. Using a combination of experiments, theory, and simulations, we show that particles of different densities, sampling regions with distinct vorticity statistics, experience a rich interplay between magnetic torque and hydrodynamic stresses, enabling targeted modification of small-scale dynamics. Building on recent work on turbulence with odd viscosity [1] and on linearly [2] and angularly forced particles, we demonstrate that turbulent fluctuations can act as an effective noise source that enhances the rotational response of particles, leading to a clear stochastic resonance when the applied rotating magnetic field matches the characteristic intensity of small-scale turbulent vortices [3]. We further uncover a symmetry-breaking mechanism whereby an oscillating magnetic field with zero mean angular velocity induces a net particle rotation even in zero-mean vorticity turbulence [3]. Together, these results could open a route to “designing” turbulence via small-scale forcing with smart particles and establish a magnetic resonance-based approach to measure otherwise inaccessible turbulent vorticity through the detectable magnetic fields emitted by the particles.

Reference:
[1] de Wit, X. M., Fruchart, M., Khain, T., Toschi, F., and Vitelli, V. (2024). Pattern formation by turbulent cascades. Nature, 627(8004), 515-521.
[2] Wang, Z., de Wit, X.M., and Toschi, F. (2024) Localization–delocalization transition for light particles in turbulence, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 121 (38).
[3] Wang, Z., de Wit, X. M., Benzi, R., Wu, C., Kunnen, R. P., Clercx, H. J., and Toschi, F. (2025). Stochastic resonance of rotating particles in turbulence. Nature Communications, 16(1), 10376.

More about the Soft Condensed Matter Seminar

Abstract: How many distinct scale-invariant structures can an intelligent swarm exhibit? Surprisingly, more than ten and counting! By modulating the behavioural rules of motile agents that interact only with their local neighbours, swarms can self-organise into a rich spectrum of scale-invariant spatiotemporal patterns. These emergent collective states correspond to distinct phases and critical phenomena, many of which can be systematically characterised using perturbative and nonperturbative renormalization group (RG) methods. In this talk, I will first provide a concise overview of these universality classes and the underlying mechanisms that generate them. I will then present additional forms of critical behaviour predicted from linear stability analyses [1], highlighting how simple local interaction rules can give rise to an unexpectedly diverse landscape of scale-invariant collective dynamics.

Reference: [1] P Jentsch, CF Lee, Diversity of critical phenomena in the ordered phase of polar active fluids. ArXiv:2512.18846

More about the Soft Condensed Matter Seminar

Abstract: While we all got used to seeing cell cytoplasm and nucleoplasm as crowded micro-environments, it remains unknown how intracellular density distributions emerge and affect cellular physiology. Here, we show that nuclear and cytosolic compartments across living systems establish a conserved density ratio due to a pressure balance across the nuclear envelope. Nuclear export and import create a specific nuclear proteome that exerts a colloid osmotic pressure, which, assisted by chromatin entropic pressure, "inflates" the nucleus to its preferred density and volume. We show how this density distribution emerges during formation of nuclei in Xenopus egg extract system. By means of a simple quantitative model we can predict the dynamics of nuclear growth in the normal setting as well as under multiple biological and biophysical perturbations. In C. elegans development, the nuclear-to-cytoplasmic density ratio is robustly maintained even when nuclear-to-cytoplasmic volume ratios change. We show that loss of density homeostasis correlates with altered cell functions like senescence and propose density distributions as key markers in pathophysiology.

More about the Squishy Physics Seminar

Abstract: Modern machine learning has achieved remarkable success across science and technology, while continuing to call for a precise theoretical understanding of how and why these systems work. In this talk, I will show how techniques from statistical physics can be used to derive a low-dimensional description of the training dynamics through a small set of order parameters in prototypical learning problems. I will discuss how different sources of algorithmic noise affect performance, and how optimal control of the order-parameter dynamics can be used to design efficient training protocols.

More about the Soft Condensed Matter Seminar

Abstract: Nonequilibrium systems are ubiquitous, from swarms of living organisms to machine learning algorithms. While much of statistical physics has focused on predicting emergent behavior from microscopic rules, a growing question is the inverse problem: how can we guide a nonequilibrium system toward a desired state? This challenge becomes particularly daunting in high-dimensional or complex systems, where classical control approaches often break down. In this talk, I will integrate methods from optimal control theory with techniques from statistical physics to tackle this problem in two broad classes of nonequilibrium systems: active matter, focusing on multimodal strategies in animal navigation and mechanical confinement of active fluids, and learning systems, where I will apply control theory to identify optimal learning principles for neural networks. Together, these approaches point toward a general framework for controlling nonequilibrium dynamics across systems and scales.

More about the Soft Condensed Matter Seminar

Abstract: Recent advances in large-scale scientific datasets are creating new opportunities for machine learning (ML) methods to more effectively capture scientific phenomena with greater accuracy and reach. In this talk, I will discuss how these advances are both shifting ML design paradigms and enabling new scientific inquiries. This includes investigations into understanding if neural networks, and specifically Transformers, can autonomously discover fundamental physical relationships from data, and demonstrating how more flexible machine learning modeling design choices enable capturing physical dynamics across multiple scales. I will also explore how generative modeling approaches grounded in statistical mechanics can be applied to accelerate the sampling of transition pathways, and as a framework to align and bridge the gap between simulated data and experimental observations.

More about the Soft Condensed Matter Seminar

Abstract: Biological systems are inherently asymmetric, arising from chemical isomer specificity that propagates from metabolite chirality to higher-order structure and function, with profound consequences for the development of pharmaceuticals, fragrances, and agrochemicals. Yet, modern isomer analysis relies on slow and resource-intensive chromatography, limiting the deep characterization of biochemical systems. In this seminar, I will present a biology-driven alternative in which bacterial regulatory proteins are repurposed as genetically-encoded biosensors for precise, scalable measurement of chemical isomers. Through directed evolution of malleable protein scaffolds, we generate sensors selective for diverse compounds, including terpenes, polyphenols, alkaloids, and synthetic pharmaceuticals. I will also describe computational strategies that leverage large biological datasets to systematically identify biosensors and engineer enzymes for therapeutic compounds. Finally, I will introduce growth-coupled assays combined with massively parallel sequencing that enable the simultaneous measurement of over 900,000 protein–chemical interactions, generating quantitative data to guide predictive protein engineering. Together, programmable genetic sensors provide a scalable platform for studying and engineering asymmetric biochemical systems with applications spanning diagnostics, biocatalyst development, and drug discovery.

More about the Squishy Physics Seminar

Through the REU program, we provide a coordinated, educational and dynamic research community to inspire and encourage young scientists to continue on to graduate school. We emphasize professional development workshops and seminars for a career in science and engineering. Weekly faculty seminars that highlight research and community activities are integrated into the program.

More about the MRSEC REU

GRC Education Requirements: Undergraduates or those who have not obtained a bachelor's degree in science/engineering (or acceptable equivalent) are not eligible to apply to attend Gordon Research Conferences or Seminars.

Conference Description: The Colloidal, Macromolecular and Polyelectrolyte Solutions GRS provides a unique forum for young doctoral and post-doctoral researchers to present their work, discuss new methods, cutting edge ideas, and pre-published data, as well as to build collaborative relationships with their peers. Experienced mentors and trainee moderators will facilitate active participation in scientific discussion to allow all attendees to be engaged participants rather than spectators.

This meeting will focus on the connection between microstructure and macroscopic properties of complex fluids, highlighting approaches for characterizing and designing functional materials. Discussions will cover experimental and computational methods, as well as practical applications. Graduate students and post-doctoral researchers working in these areas are encouraged to apply and take part in this interactive and collaborative scientific exchange.

Application Information: Applications for this meeting must be submitted by January 3, 2026. Please apply early, as some meetings become oversubscribed (full) before this deadline. If the meeting is oversubscribed, it will be stated here. Note: Applications for oversubscribed meetings will only be considered by the conference chair if more seats become available due to cancellations.

More about the Bridging Microstructure and Functionality Seminar

Related Meeting: This GRC will be held in conjunction with the "Science of Soft Building Blocks for Functional Materials" Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) on February 1 - 6, 2026.

Related Meeting Description: Dispersions and solutions of colloids, macromolecules, or polyelectrolytes enable the development of functional materials for societally critical applications such as energy production and storage, controlled release, biomaterials, and environmental remediation. This GRC will feature talks that address exciting open questions in the fundamental science controlling the structure, dynamics, and emergent properties of these soft building blocks; the active, biomimetic, and/or learning processes by which they assemble in and out of equilibrium; and their use in advanced applications.

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.
Application Information: Applications for this meeting must be submitted by January 4, 2026.

Abstract: Shape-programmed sheets morph into curved surfaces upon stimulation by light, heat, or chemistry. They are ubiquitous throughout biology, and synthetic versions show great promise as soft large-strain actuators. A central theme is the generation of Gauss curvature (GC) via patterns of in-plane deformation, which imbues the morphed structures with mechanical strength. A canonical example is a pattern of azimuthal contraction that morphs a disk into a cone, which cannot be flattened without energetically costly stretch because its tip bears concentrated GC. In that spirit, I'll demonstrate novel designs for nematic deformation patterns that encode concentrated GC at generalized "tips" (via topological defects), along ridges (via seams between smooth patterns), and within the central holes of annuli (via spirals). Then, to investigate mechanical strength quantitatively, we'll turn to the load-bearing capacity of perfect conical shells. This classical-sounding problem is in fact rather subtle; I will present a boundary-layer solution, leading to an asymptotic critical force that scales like thickness to the 5/2—a surprising and novel scaling that has broad implications for shell buckling. Finally, I'll discuss nematic shape-morphers in which both the magnitude and direction of deformation are varied spatially, exemplified by liquid crystal elastomers under patterned illumination. In this emerging paradigm, a single physical sheet can be morphed into infinitely many target surfaces, opening the door to precise shape adjustments, new functionalities, and designable non-reciprocal loops in shape space.

More about the Soft Condensed Matter Seminar