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Luke Davis @luke-mathphys.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

We present a solid (pun-intended) theoretical foundation for the packing of balls in cylinders. Using solid-state theory (thanks Kittel!) We arrive at an exact analytical equation for the packing fraction for all cylinder aspect ratios, where previous numerical work focused on very thin cylinders.

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PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 08/06/2026

#Biofilm matrices containing filamentous phages help #Pseudomonas aeruginosa tolerate antibiotics. @abultarafder.bsky.social @tbharat-lab.bsky.social &co show that #nanobody disruption of #phage Pf4 #LiquidCrystalline droplets restores #antibiotic susceptibility @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/4xkd6Mw

Top: Nanobody binders are potent inhibitors of Pf4 liquid crystalline droplet formation and disrupt preformed droplets. Cryo-ET of Pf4 liquid crystalline droplets incubated with Nb43. Tomographic slice of a Pf4 liquid crystalline droplet specimen incubated with (left) 0.1 μM and (right) 1 μM Nb43. Bottom: Schematic representation of nanobody action in abolishing antibiotic tolerance of P. aeruginosa biofilms. In untreated biofilms (left), cells show increased antibiotic tolerance due to Pf4 liquid crystalline droplets formed by depletion attraction in the biofilm EPS matrix, where encapsulated cells are protected by an antibiotic diffusion block. In nanobody treated biofilms, patchy binding of nanobody to Pf4 filaments reduces depletion attraction between the filaments preventing liquid crystalline droplet formation and encapsulation of cells, leading to increased antibiotic susceptibility of bacteria within the biofilm.

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Tanmay Bharat @tbharat-lab.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

Disrupting phage liquid crystalline droplets restores antibiotic susceptibility in Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms out in @plosbiology.org by @abultarafder.bsky.social and team. Exciting collaboration with @geiselbiofilm.bsky.social @pearce-maths.bsky.social and others

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Luke Davis @luke-mathphys.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

Just released a new preprint: "Geometric decomposition of the d-dimensional hard-sphere partition function": link: lnkd.in/evcDeGtM. I take a new vantage point for the statistical geometry of hard spheres, and manage to arrive at some new relations.

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Luke Davis @luke-mathphys.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

Sharing some recent good news! x3 papers accepted for publication: x1 letter (Physical Review Research) and x2 articles (PLOS Biology and Physical Review E [Editors' suggestion]), see links below. Thanks to all the co-authors! lnkd.in/enEub5y9 lnkd.in/erT3kJvs lnkd.in/erNbS8ys lnkd.in/eEKirPm5

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Luke Davis @luke-mathphys.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

Sharing some new work on the “Optimal multi-parameter control of trapped active matter”: arxiv.org/abs/2603.16778 We go beyond the typical considerations (single parameter) and restrictions (slow/fast driving) to reveal new and profound insights into the multi-parameter control of active particles.

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Luke Davis @luke-mathphys.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

Giving an invited talk in a very interesting session on ‘Control Strategies in Soft Matter and Biological Systems’: summit.aps.org/events/MAR-L69. This area is rapidly growing and very exciting!

summit.aps.org

Control Strategies in Soft Matter and Biological Systems | APS Meeting

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Luke Davis @luke-mathphys.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

Landed in Denver! I’m very happy to be part of the "Control Strategies in Soft Matter and Biological Systems" session as an invited speaker (MAR-L69). I’ll also be presenting in Active Matter II (MAR-G63). Thanks to José Alvarado for the invitation! 🔗 lnkd.in/evYXny4V 🔗 lnkd.in/emjkheVe

lnkd.in

This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn

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Luke Davis @luke-mathphys.bsky.social · 11/09/2025

New preprint! :) : "Insertion space of repulsive active matter". We show that the presence of activity, weak or strong, increases the total insertion volume and its connectedness. Our work extends equilibrium concepts of stochastic geometry to active systems. arxiv.org/pdf/2509.081... #ActiveMatter

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Luke Davis @luke-mathphys.bsky.social · 05/08/2025

This was a great collaboration with the experimental group of Cacey Stevens Bester!

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Luke Davis @luke-mathphys.bsky.social · 05/08/2025

New Preprint Alert! 🌟 Discover our latest research on "Force and geometric signatures of the creep-to-failure transition in a granular pile" on arXiv. Dive into the dynamic interplay of forces and geometry in granular systems. arxiv.org/abs/2508.01391

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Luke Davis @luke-mathphys.bsky.social · 03/08/2025

Very happy to see this out as a preprint! 🥳 Glad to have been able to contribute to this nice story, where biophysics is the main protagonist!

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Janet Kumita @jrkumita.bsky.social · 21/07/2025

Come join us for the next monthly on-line seminar (1st August, 1 pm GMT) aimed to connect the UK Biomolecular Condensate community (All are welcome to come and listen). @luke-mathphys.bsky.social @physicsoflifeuk.bsky.social @phar.cam.ac.uk

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Luke Davis @luke-mathphys.bsky.social · 13/07/2025

Latest portrait is of the late Freeman Dyson.

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Luke Davis @luke-mathphys.bsky.social · 23/06/2025

At the very pretty IHES, in Bures sur-yvette, for the school on Nonlinear and statistical physics.

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Luke Davis @luke-mathphys.bsky.social · 14/06/2025

Chalk portrait of Felix Klein 1849-1925. Mathematician who was based in Goettingen. I also drew this portrait at the Max Planck institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization.

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Luke Davis @luke-mathphys.bsky.social · 14/06/2025

My chalk portrait of Emmy Noether 1882-1935. This portrait was drawn in the library of the Living Matter Physics (Golestanian) group at the Mac Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-organisation.

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Luke Davis @luke-mathphys.bsky.social · 14/06/2025

My latest chalk portrait of a scientist: Peter Higgs 1929-2024. This one is at the Higgs Center for Theoretical Physics, where I have an affiliation.

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Hanna Roetschke @hroetschke.bsky.social · 14/04/2025

📣 We are doing it again! #INTERPHACE2027 After a very successful first edition, we are excited to announce that we are planning to organise INTERPHACE bi-annually! 💥 📧 Sign up for our mailing list if you would like to receive updates directly: forms.office.com/e/FepeUA5XA5

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Luke Davis @luke-mathphys.bsky.social · 04/03/2025

Want to work on cutting edge theoretical research to advance our mechanistic understanding of biological processes? Do you enjoy applying ideas from statistical physics and soft matter? I am hiring a 2-year PostDoc at Uni. of Edinburgh. DL: 15/04/2025 elxw.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...

elxw.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com

Postdoctoral Research Associate in Numerical simulations for biomolecular modelling

We are looking for an outstanding candidate to work on project UNTauANGLE: Untangling the biophysics of tau aggregation through computational modelling, within the School of Mathematics at the prestig...

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Luke Davis @luke-mathphys.bsky.social · 02/03/2025

New preprint! “Mesoscopic heterogeneity of biomolecular condensates from sequence patterning.” We explore how the distribution and preferential crowding of cohesive and spacer polymer blocks dictate the rich organization we see in assemblies of proteins. arxiv.org/abs/2502.14587

arxiv.org

Mesoscopic heterogeneity in biomolecular condensates from sequence patterning

Biomolecular condensates composed of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are vital for proper cellular function, and their dysfunction is associated with diseases including neurodegeneration and ...

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Reposted by Luke Davis

Hanna Roetschke @hroetschke.bsky.social · 24/02/2025

thank you for a beautiful panel discussion at #INTERPHACE2025 Benny Chain @bennychains.bsky.social Jo Redmond, Cristina Lo Celso and Jean-Baptiste Cazier 🔥 - I cannot think of a better way to round up the day

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Hanna Roetschke @hroetschke.bsky.social · 24/02/2025

I hope you enjoyed today as much as we did! Here's to many future editions of #INTERPHACE2025 💥

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Luke Davis @luke-mathphys.bsky.social · 05/02/2025

Higgs Boson Ale: may give you *more* mass.

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Luke Davis @luke-mathphys.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

I am advertising x2 (4-year) PhD projects on the statistical physics and mathematics of active matter at @EdinUniMaths . The deadline is 20/01/25 and likely starting date is Sept 2025. Project details see mac-migs.ac.uk/projects-2024/ and scroll down or ctrl-f "Luke". Please share! 😄

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Luke Davis @luke-mathphys.bsky.social · 09/01/2025

Lovely view of Arthur’s seat from my new office at the School of Mathematics, University of Edinburgh.

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Luke Davis @luke-mathphys.bsky.social · 26/12/2024

Scientific problems have but a few viewpoints where the entire solution reveals itself and shines bright, also uncovering seemingly unrelated truths. These good viewpoints are equivalent to perceptive questions, and asking these Qs should be the major preoccupation of scientists.

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Luke Davis @luke-mathphys.bsky.social · 19/12/2024

🎉 Grant news! 🎉 I have won a Wellcome Accelerator Award! This will accelerate my research and career at UoE (Edinburgh). Grateful to Wellcome and for all the support I have received from UoE, mentors, collaborators, friends, and family. I will be hiring a 2-year Postdoc! Stay tuned for more info.

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Helen Czerski @helenczerski.bsky.social · 08/12/2024

Ever wondered why walking around museums is weirdly tiring? At normal speed our legs act like pendulums, swinging forward from the hip & saving us a huge amount of energy. In "museum shuffle" our muscles must do ALL the work of constant readjustment. So cake in the cafe is scientifically justified 🥳

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Reposted by Luke Davis

Hanna Roetschke @hroetschke.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

📢 Only few more days left to submit an abstract for #INTERPHACE2025 at @thecrick.bsky.social or get an early-bird ticket! - deadline 13th Dec! Don't miss out on presenting your work in an interdisciplinary environment, network, or maybe even find new collaborators? tinyurl.com/5n94xcuw

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Luke Davis @luke-mathphys.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

Some time away from physics to indulge in some kultur at the Alte Nationalgalerie.

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Luke Davis @luke-mathphys.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

This week I am working at and visiting TU Berlin! Will give an informal seminar on Wednesday. This photo is in front of the elevators on the seventh floor…

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Luke Davis @luke-mathphys.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

Tel me you are in Germany without telling me that you are Germany.

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Luke Davis @luke-mathphys.bsky.social · 26/11/2024

I apparently missed the memo that all the Lukes are taking over darts.

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Luke Davis @luke-mathphys.bsky.social · 24/11/2024

This was a great event! It was nice to see one if my old DPhil advisors (Ian Ford) give a talk on Maxwell’s Demon and, additionally, was nice to meet Jim!

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Mudiwa Muwanigwa @drtasia.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

Hello 🦋 quick intro: I’m from Zim🇿🇼 currently in 🇬🇧 via 🇧🇼 🇨🇾 🇳🇱 🇱🇺 Currently a postdoc in the Duff lab @ the UKDRI at UCL, interested in how RNA & RNA binding proteins are dysregulated in tauopathies. Big fiction reader (trying to read more 📚 by Black women authors). Foodie 😋. #AfricanInSTEM

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Luke Davis @luke-mathphys.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

Just attended an Interesting talk by Adrian Smith, the President of the Royal Society, on “W(h)ither rational thinking in the digital age”. No doubt there will be rational thinking, in the true digital age, but by whom (including machines)?

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Luke Davis @luke-mathphys.bsky.social · 16/11/2024

#Introduction: Dr. Luke Davis. British born (🇬🇧, 🇯🇲 heritage) theoretical physicist currently a Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge. Papers 📝: scholar.google.com/citations?us... Art 🖼️: www.drlukekdavis.com/some-of-my-art 🗣️: m.soundcloud.com/one100ucl/lu...

scholar.google.com

Luke Davis

‪Isaac Newton Institute, University of Cambridge‬ - ‪‪Cited by 218‬‬ - ‪statistical mechanics‬ - ‪theoretical biophysics‬ - ‪computer simulations‬ - ‪soft matter‬ - ‪active matter‬

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Luke Davis @luke-mathphys.bsky.social · 16/11/2024

Some pics from my visit to the Niels Bohr Institute in Copenhagen. The small library had some great science history tomes, and QM textbooks. This rather large book by Tycho Brahe is pretty old. An almost lifesize photo portrait of Bohr “walks” the corridors.

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Luke Davis @luke-mathphys.bsky.social · 14/11/2024

Hello World! (Physicist interested in the Statistical Physics of Active and Living Matter here)

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