Please note that the list below only shows forthcoming events, which may not include regular events that have not yet been entered for the forthcoming term. Please see the past events page for a list of all seminar series that the department has on offer.

Past events in this series

Thu, 02 Feb 2023
12:00
L1

### Copolymer templating from a mathematical and physical perspective

Thomas Ouldridge and Benjamin Qureshi
(Imperial College)
Further Information

Thomas is a Reader in Biomolecular Systems in the Department of Bioengineering at Imperial College. He leads the "Principles of Biomolecular Systems" group. 'His group probes the fundamental principles underlying complex biochemical systems through theoretical modelling, simulation and experiment.' (Taken from his website: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/principles-of-biomolecular-systems/)

Abstract

Biological systems achieve their complexity by processing and exploiting information stored in molecular copolymers such as DNA, RNA and proteins. Despite the ubiquity and power of this approach in natural systems, our ability to implement similar functionality in synthetic systems is very limited. In this talk, we will first outline a new mathematical framework for analysing general models of colymerisation for infinitely long polymers. For a given model of copolymerisation, this approach allows for the extraction of key quantities such as the sequence distribution, speed of polymerisation and the rate of molecular fuel consumption without resorting to simulation. Subsequently, we will explore mechanisms that allow for reliable copying of the information stored in finite-length template copolymers, before touching on recent experimental work in which these ideas are put into practice.

Thu, 09 Feb 2023
12:00
L1

### Finite time blowup of incompressible flows surrounding compressible bubbles evolving under soft equations of state

Robert Van Gorder
(University of Otago)

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Further Information

Robert, formerly a Research Fellow in Nonlinear Dynamics, and a Glasstone Fellow here at the Mathematical Institute. He is now a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Otago, New Zealand. You can read more about Robert's teaching and research here

Abstract
We explore the dynamics of a compressible fluid bubble surrounded by an incompressible fluid of infinite extent in three-dimensions, constructing bubble solutions with finite time blowup under this framework when the equation of state relating pressure and volume is soft (e.g., with volume singularities that are locally weaker than that in the Boyle-Mariotte law), resulting in a finite time blowup of the surrounding incompressible fluid, as well. We focus on two families of solutions, corresponding to a soft polytropic process (with the bubble decreasing in size until eventual collapse, resulting in velocity and pressure blowup) and a cavitation equation of state (with the bubble expanding until it reaches a critical cavitation volume, at which pressure blows up to negative infinity, indicating a vacuum). Interestingly, the kinetic energy of these solutions remains bounded up to the finite blowup time, making these solutions more physically plausible than those developing infinite energy. For all cases considered, we construct exact solutions for specific parameter sets, as well as analytical and numerical solutions which show the robustness of the qualitative blowup behaviors for more generic parameter sets. Our approach suggests novel -- and perhaps physical -- routes to the finite time blowup of fluid equations.
Thu, 16 Feb 2023
12:00
L1

### OCIAM TBC

TBC

The join button will be published 30 minutes before the seminar starts (login required).

Thu, 23 Feb 2023
14:00
L1

### OCIAM TBC

Laura Miller
(University of Arizona)

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Further Information

### Please note the change of time for this seminar at 2pm GMT.

Laura Miller is Professor of Mathematics. Her research group, 'investigate[s] changes in the fluid dynamic environment of organisms as they grow or shrink in size over evolutionary or developmental time.' (Taken from her group website here: https://sites.google.com/site/swimflypump/home?authuser=0

Thu, 02 Mar 2023
12:00
L1

### The Plankton Hydrodynamic Playbook

Christophe Eloy
(IRPHE Marseille)

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Further Information

Christophe is Professor of Fluid Mechanics at Centrale Marseille. His research activity is carried out at the IRPHE institute in Marseille.

'His research addresses various fundamental problems of fluid and solid mechanics, including fluid-structure interactions, hydrodynamic instabilities, animal locomotion, aeroelasticity, rotating flows, and plant biomechanics. It generally involves a combination of analytical modeling, experiments, and numerical work.' (Taken from his website here: https://www.irphe.fr/~eloy/).'

Abstract

By definition, planktonic organisms drift with the water flows. But these millimetric organisms are not necessarily passive; many can swim and can sense the surrounding flow through mechanosensory hairs. But how useful can be flow sensing in a turbulent environment? To address this question, we show two examples of smart planktonic behavior: (1) we develop a model where plantkters choose a swimming direction as a function of the velocity gradient to "surf on turbulence" and move efficiently upwards; (2) we show how a plankter measuring the velocity gradient may track the position of a swimming target from its hydrodynamic signature.

Ernst Haeckel, Kunstformen der Natur (1904), Copepoda

Thu, 09 Mar 2023
12:00
L1

### OCIAM TBC

Maria Jose Jimenez
(University of Seville)

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Further Information

TBC

Abstract

TBC