Webinário Física Biológica – Collective Dynamics of Moving Organisms: The Statistical Physics ofSelf-Propelled Particles.

Dr. Pablo de Castro – ICTP-SAIFR Brazil

Imagine a flock of birds flying in splendid coordination, a swarm of bacteria moving in synchronized patterns, or a collection of tissue cells agglomerating to form an organ. These collective behaviors are at the heart of Active Matter, a fascinating field in Nonequilibrium Statistical Physics that investigates the dynamics of self- propelled entities such as fish, cells, and artificial particles. This presentation aims to provide an overview of Active Matter and discuss how it has emerged as a framework to explore a diverse range of phenomena in many fields. In the process, I will briefly present some of our contributions to fundamental questions in Active Matter and applications in embryonic development and social microorganisms. Our research seeks to uncover new physical principles and develop theoretical frameworks in Active Matter as well as to provide insights that could inform ecology, medical treatments, and fundamental research in biology.