Project Title: Exploring nonequilibrium activity and enhanced diffusion in cells using experiment, theory, and machine learning
Thesis Advisor: Wylie W. Ahmed, Chaire de Professeur Junior (CNRS), Laboratoire de Physique Theorique (
LPT) and Centre de Biologie Integrative (
CBI), Toulouse, France.
Team website:
https://slam-lab.com/
Keywords: Statistical physics, physics of living systems, nonequilibrium fluctuations, stochastic thermodynamics, soft active matter, optical tweezers, microscopy, variational autoencoders.
Context: This PhD is part of a project that aims to uncover how energy-driven processes at the molecular scale influence the organization of living matter. By focusing on how molecular activity affects cellular properties, the project will explore how these processes scale up to impact tissues. Using a combination of experiments, physical modeling, and machine learning, this research seeks to deepen our understanding of how nonequilibrium activity drives organization in biological systems, offering new ways to study active matter.
PhD Work: The PhD project will focus on understanding how nonequilibrium molecular activity, such as enhanced diffusion, impacts cellular properties and organization. The student will combine experimental approaches with physical modeling to quantify activity and diffusion dynamics. By incorporating machine learning, the project aims to classify and analyze patterns of activity, providing deeper insights into the physical principles governing active matter at the cellular scale. This interdisciplinary approach will bridge data-driven analysis (variational autoencoders), experimental measurements (optical tweezers and microscopy), and theoretical models (stochastic thermodynamics) to elucidate the role of nonthermal fluctuations in shaping cellular behaviors.
Profile: The ideal candidate should have a Masters degree in physics (or equivalent), with experience in experiments, data analysis, and programming. Knowledge of machine learning or computational modeling is a plus. The student should be curious about biological systems, eager to explore nonequilibrium processes, and interested in using physical models to study active matter dynamics. A collaborative mindset and willingness to work across disciplines will be key.
Practical Information: The doctoral student will work in Toulouse, France at both the
LPT and
CBI. The student will be enrolled in the
Doctoral School of Matter Sciences. The 3-year contract is funded by the MESR/UT3 and will ideally start in October 2025. Interested candidates should send their CV and cover letter directly to W. Ahmed (
wahmed@irsamc.ups-tlse.fr).
Click here for: PDF Description and
Team Webpage
References:
[1]
Ahmed et al. Biophysical Journal 2018
[2]
O 'Byrne et al. Nature Reviews Physics 2020
[3]
Cichos et al. Nature Machine Intelligence 2020
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Wylie Ahmed
Laboratoire de Physique Théorique (LPT), and
MCD, Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI),
CNRS, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
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Modifié 1 fois. Dernière modification le 22/10/24 10:56 par wylieahmed.