Workshop on Statistical Physics of Living Systems

Abstract

Living materials, such as bacterial colonies or confluent monolayers, are complex non-equilibrium systems where energy input at the single-agent level prevents thermal equilibrium and drives collective behaviors through self-propulsion and local interactions. These interactions, ranging from mechanical to biochemical, can produce non-equilibrium phase transitions that shape both structural properties, like unjamming, and dynamic ones, such as flocking or directed motion. Recent theoretical advances have revealed new paradigms of collective motion, like traveling waves from non-reciprocal interactions, while tools from disordered systems, optimal control, and statistical thermodynamics have deepened understanding of dense active matter, fluctuations, and entropy production, enabling experimental tests across diverse organisms. These developments highlight the importance of consolidating theoretical, computational, and experimental approaches, which is the goal of the upcoming workshop designed to foster collaboration, exchange ideas, and define future challenges in the study of collective behavior in soft living matter.

Roberto Cerbino

Professor of Experimental Soft Matter Physics

My research interests include Soft matter physics, living matter, cell biophysics and quantitative microscopy.