New Structures Self-Assemble in Synchronized Dance

Natural science-art interactions!
A new class of materials self-assemble into spinning microtubes.
New structures self-assemble in synchronized dance

With self-assembly guiding the steps and synchronization providing the rhythm, a new class of materials forms dynamic, moving structures in an intricate dance. Researchers from the University of Illinois and Northwestern University have demonstrated tiny spheres that synchronize their movements as they self-assemble into a spinning microtube. Such in-motion structures, a blending of mathematics and materials science, could open a new class of technologies with applications in medicine, chemistry and engineering. The results will be published in the Nov. 22 edition of the journal Nature.