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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/A00251/01
Title: POLYMERIC DYNAMICS, BIOMIMETIC ORGANISATIION AND SLOW DYNAMICS IN SOFT MATTER
Principal Investigator: McLeish, Professor T
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Department: Physics and Astronomy
Organisation: University of Leeds
Scheme: Senior Fellowship (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 01 October 2000 Ends: 30 September 2005 Value (£): 277,708
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Summary on Grant Application Form
There are three themes, related by common methodologies from Soft Condensed Matter Physics. Theme I is mature and will be steered to applications, incubating the new and riskier research planned under themes 11 and Ill.The first, Molecular Rheology completes and applies within industry a current task - to provide a theoretical yet workable framework for chemically tailoring entangled polymer melts - with two new ideas; (1) co-operative release of topological constraints in strong flow ; (2) an interface with models of polymerisation kinetics. This project will build on the largeEPSRC MaPEA collaboration that I direct.The second theme, Biological and Blomimetic Networks: Dynamics and Viscoelasticity supports the Life Science Interface initiative. Simplified models will: (1) work on the elusive problem of assembly, disassembly and elasticity of the extra-cellular matrix (ECM); (2) employ many-body techniques to models of driven receptor systems where there is high co-operatively in cell-ECM interaction; (3) look by simulation at encoding kinetic information on the folding-route of a model protein in collaboration with biochemists and biophysicists at Leeds; This work will begin with the current models of peptide beta-sheet gels under strong flow.The third theme, Co-operatively in Glassy Dynamics, takes a fresh look at the glass transition using a number of coincident recent advances. The mathematical structure of the highly co-operative dynamics arising from branched polymer theory of theme 1 ( dynamic dilution ) suggests a new model for co-operative slowing akin to trap models with mode-coupling . By (1) using a range of models. (2) calculating many observables (memory, ageing, dynamically scaling, fragility) and (3) maintaining an active international forum of experts on glassy dynamics , I will catalyse the progress of this field towards an understanding of diversity rather than a forced uniformity.These and other research topics in my and colleagues groups will be included in a range of materials under development for the public understanding of science.
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Organisation Website: http://www.leeds.ac.uk