Biological and Soft Systems

The 21st Century promises a major expansion at the interface of physics with the life sciences. These areas fall outside the conventional boundaries of the scientific disciplines of Chemistry, Physics, Biology, and Medicine, requiring a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach.

The Biological and Soft Systems group of the Cavendish Laboratory is pursuing this kind of multidisciplinary research. Using techniques and inspirations from classical polymer physics, soft matter physics and the study of condensed matter, we build on this foundation with exciting progress in biophysics, biomaterials, nanoscience and Physics of Medicine. The BSS Sector is ideally placed, with the right expertise, to be a major player in these exciting new areas of science.

The BSS sector has over 100 researchers, including 11 faculty members, whose work is divided into three broad areas of research:

• Soft Matter
  • Colloids
  • Polymers and Composites
  • Thin Films and Interfaces
  
  
• Imaging of Biological Systems and Structures
  • Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy
  • Medical imaging
  • Optical Microscopy
  • Optical Manipulation and Micromechanics
  
  
• Physical properties of Biological Systems and Structures
  • Cell Biophysics
  • Single Molecules
  • Tissues - Biomolecular gels and networks
  • Interfaces, Films and Membranes