Soft Matter Research
The Solomon group focuses on the fundamental study of colloidal and biopolymer systems, using 3D confocal microscopy, rheology, and light scattering methods. The work impacts fields of consumer products, pharmaceuticals, biomedical devices, and treatments for bacterial infections. Our group’s interests can be largely divided into four main regimes: colloidal gelation and rheology, biomimetic structural color, active colloidal matter, and biomechanics of bacterial and fungal biofilms.

Colloidal Assembly
for structural color

Colloidal Gelation
and its rheological properties
We study the microscopic network structure and gelation dynamics and the functional properties of colloidal gel

Active Matter
dynamics and effects
We study the behavior of various shapes of active colloidal particles when embedded in colloidal gel and crystal, and their effects on the functional properties

Mechanics of Biofilm
for bacteria and fungi