Smart, Living & Active Matter - Leiden

About us

The SLAM - Smart, Living, & Active Matter - initiative unites theory and experimental groups of the Leiden Institute of Physics. It currently gathers the groups of Luca Giomi, Louise Jawerth, Daniela Kraft, Martin van Hecke, Silke Henkes and Alexandre Morin.

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Coming up next

2026-07-16 - 13:30 @ DM 1.09 (New Gorlaeus)

SLAM seminar: Pepijn Moerman

Title
Exploring local learning rules in DNA condensates
Abstract
Physical learning is a process by which materials acquire desired properties through exposure to examples, rather than through prior computational or experimental design. A central requirement is a local learning rule that modifies interactions in the system based on the examples. We asked how to realize such learning rules in condensates made of DNA nanostars. We show how the interaction strength between DNA nanostars can be updated based on their local environment using enzymatic reactions that covalently attach new DNA domains to the nanostars. The result is that the nanostars ‘remember’ their neighbors in a training phase and interact more strongly with neighbours of the same type in the retrieval phase. This interaction update rule is analogous to Hebbian learning – DNA nanostars that spend time together, grow to like each other – and enables the nanostars to form mixed condensates whose compositions reflect those present during training.

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