Anke Lindner - Transport dynamics of confined particles: from complex shapes to collective effects
Professor Anke Lindner is internationally recognized for her pioneering work on the physics of complex fluids, suspensions, active matter, and fluid–structure interactions. Her research combines innovative microfluidic experiments, microfabrication techniques, and particle-tracking methods to uncover how microscopic dynamics govern the macroscopic behavior of flowing materials. Her work has advanced our understanding of phenomena ranging from non-Newtonian fluids and rheology to bacterial suspensions, flexible fibers in flow, and active fluids.
After studying physics in Germany, she earned her PhD from the École Normale Supérieure in 2000, focusing on interfacial instabilities in complex fluids. She subsequently held positions at ESPCI Paris and Université Pierre et Marie Curie, before becoming Professor at Université Paris Cité.
Her achievements have been recognized with numerous distinctions, including an ERC Consolidator Grant, the Maurice Couette Prize of the French Society of Rheology, election as a Fellow of the American Physical Society, and the prestigious CNRS Silver Medal. More recently, she was elected a Fellow of the Society of Rheology and serves as President of the European Society of Rheology.
To get more flavor of her research please check out her webpage.
Understanding microparticle transport in complex environments is essential for applications ranging from pollution control to particle sorting and intracellular dynamics. Transport is governed by the interplay between particle properties, flow conditions, and environmental constraints, especially when particles have complex shapes or are present at high concentrations
Here, we investigate the transport of complex particles using microfluidic model systems. We first examine how particle shape influences transport dynamics in straight, confined channels, then explore the interactions of elongated particles with obstacles, which serves as a basis for analyzing fiber separation in pillar arrays. Finally, we address collective effects by studying the flow of gear-like particles through constrictions.
These findings offer new insights into the flow of complex particles in crowded environments, ranging from natural soils and the interior of cells to blood flow, and may enable advances in particle sorting and water treatment applications.
Published June 5, 2026 1:58 PM
- Last modified June 5, 2026 1:58 PM