Experimental Soft Condensed Matter Group

Harvard University

A microscopic droplet can be a reaction vessel, a material-building block, or a home for growing cells. David Weitz’s group uses soft-matter physics and microfluidics to explore all three. The lab studies how the internal structure of colloids, emulsions, gels, and biological networks shapes their bulk behavior, using microscopy, scattering, and rheology. Selected work examines branched organoids grown inside collagen droplets and surfactant films that keep microfluidic droplets stable. Its research links hands-on fluid and materials experiments with questions about cell mechanics and biological measurement.