Dresden 2026 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 34: Focus Session: Emergent Transport in Active Systems (joint session DY/BP)

BP 34.1: Invited Talk

Thursday, March 12, 2026, 15:00–15:30, ZEU/0160

Out-of-equlibrium synthetic cells: the future of active matter — •Laura Alvarez — Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, CRPP, UMR 5031

Colloidal active swimmers are broadly used as model systems to design microswimmers, yet their rigid and solid architecture limits their adaptability and functionality. A promising alternative is using bioinspired soft compartments for the design of cell-mimetic functional architectures while avoiding the complexity of living cells.

Here, I will showcase our latest results on driving giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) out of equilibrium via controlled external actuation to mimic and study life-like processes. We fabricate phase-separated Janus lipid vesicles, harnessing membrane fluidity to obtain reconfigurable motion. Under external electric fields, these asymmetric compartments self-propel and display transient run-and-tumble-like dynamics arising from the coupling between mobile membrane domains and the field. By tuning lipid composition and using temperature as an external trigger, we modulate membrane fluidity and phase separation, enabling in situ control over the frequency of tumble events. Beyond motility, we exploit electric fields to induce controlled shape transformations and vesicle division events, showing that the same actuating scheme can access higher-order cell-like functions. In parallel, we use light to drive strong, localized membrane fluctuations, providing a route to study active, non-thermal shape dynamics in soft compartments. These results highlight synthetic cell membranes as versatile platforms in which different functions can be triggered using simple external fields.

Keywords: nonequilibrium; lipid membranes; synthetic cells; active matter; statistical physics