"Soft matter", within condensed matter physics, includes not only "ordinary" liquids, but also more complex fluids. These complex fluids generally behave as liquids at a molecular scale, and simultaneously show some organization at a supramolecular scale (sometimes there are several different kinds of organization depending on the length scale). The field of application is huge, indeed soft matter is everywhere in our everyday life: cosmetics (creams, shampoos...), food (yoghurts, jellies..), mud, sand, liquid crystals (watches, computer screens), biological objects (cells) among others. The word "soft" refers to the fact that all these objects can be easily deformed, being very sensitive to external parameters (temperature, electric field...), in other words they are fragile.

The research topic named "soft matter and physics-biology interface" of our laboratory gathers very diverse physical systems, from biological materials to industrial plastic materials. Experimental studies concern organization and dynamics of soft matter systems on a wide range of length scale (from the molecular to the macroscopic scale) ; the techniques used are extremely diverse and most of them are available inside the laboratory. They are completed by theoretical studies, modelizations and numerical simulations.

Hexagonal columnar phase of nucleosomes observed with under polarizing microscope (115x171µm²).

Numerical simulation of a tear in a filled elastomer.

Faceted droplet of a liquid crystal in cubic phase, observed under optical microscope.

	Scientific teams:
	Adhesion, Friction and Polymers  Self-assembled Biological Objects  Liquid interfaces  Organised liquids  Partially organized molecular phases  Theory 1  Tissues and biological fibres

	Research topics:		Experimental techniques:
	Adhesion and friction  filled elastomers  Polymers  Nanotubes in liquid crystals  Mixtures of polymers and tensioactive materials  Liquid crystals  Mesoporous materials  Mineral liquid crystals  Soap films  Flow of confined liquids  Foams  Mechanics and flow of threshold fluids  Biological tissues and fibers  Synthesis of metallic nanoparticles in mesophases  Biomineralization  DNA		NMR  AFM  DSC  Light scattering  Osmometry  Biochemistry  Ellipsometry  Optical microscopy  Interfacial rheometry  Conductimétrie  X-rays  Neutrons  Numerical simulations  Cryo-electronic microscopy