Manas Khan

We study the statistical physics of soft and active matter, including biological systems, primarily through experimental methods supplemented by numerical simulations and analytical calculations. Our goal is to uncover the microscopic origin of the emergent intriguing physical phenomena in soft condensed matter physics. Our research interests include:

• Active Brownian dynamics in complex environments and under confinements
• Single particle and emergent collective behavior of run-and-tumble dynamics
• Bacterial swarming and biofilm
• Anomalous diffusion and nonequilibrium fluctuations, microrheology
• Resetting of active and passive dynamics
• Structural transitions and defect dynamics in colloidal crystals
• Mechanical responses of cells and bio-membranes

The experimental tools that we currently use are:

• Conventional and customized laser optical tweezers, and other optical micromanipulation techniques
• Bright field, fluorescence, and confocal microscopy with advanced video imaging
• Particle tracking microrheology
• Rheology coupled with confocal imaging