The Thorneywork Group: Soft Matter and Nanoscale Systems

Based in the Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, University of Oxford, we use soft matter to solve fundamental problems drawn from a diverse range of fields, from condensed matter physics to biology.  To achieve this we build novel experimental model systems that allow us to probe complex phenomena at the micro and nanoscale, exploiting a range of techniques, including microfluidics, optical tweezing, colloidal suspensions, and  nanopores. Working with this variety of techniques allows us to probe phenomena from the single-particle to continuum limit and to identify universal physical behaviour across different length and time scales. 

Our current goal is to comprehensively understand fluctuations and transport of materials in driven, out-of-equilibrium systems. Understanding transport is important in a wide variety of different scenarios, from exploring biological dynamics to improving state-of-the-art molecular sensing and DNA sequencing devices. Moreover, elucidating the statistical mechanics of non-equilibrium systems represents a significant fundamental challenge. To learn more please see our recent publications or contact Alice.