Active matter is any collection of materials or systems composed of individual units that can move on their own, thanks to self-propulsion or autonomous motion. They can be of any size—think clouds of bacteria in a petri dish, or schools of fish.

Roman Grigoriev is mostly interested in the emergent behaviors in active matter systems made up of units on a molecular scale—tiny systems that convert stored energy into directed motion, consuming energy as they move and exerting mechanical force.

“Active matter systems have garnered significant attention in physics, biology, and materials science due to their unique properties and potential applications,” Grigoriev, a professor in the School of Physics at Georgia Tech, explains. 

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