Reminder of the upcoming abstract deadline (March 7) for the Workshop on Stochastic Thermodynamics!
Out today in @physrevresearch.bsky.social: "Information Thermodynamics of Cellular Ion Pumps", led by Julián Jiménez-Paz (@cornelluniversity.bsky.social), with @davidasivak.bsky.social (@sfuphysics.bsky.social)!
This design modularizes the functions of fluctuation harvesting and energy storage, pointing to its incorporation in more practical devices.
He elegantly shows how to convert horizontal thermal jiggles (‘fluctuations’) into vertically raising a weight against gravity. Remarkably, the horizontal fluctuations are more valuable than the vertical ones!
(image credit: Jasper Zhang)
Out in @physrevlett.bsky.social: @sfuphysics.bsky.social postdoc Antonio Patrón Castro (in tight collaboration with my colleague John Bechhoefer) pushes our information engine to higher dimensions!
doi.org/10.1103/xwjd...
Detailed information, including invited speakers: wostmeeting.org
Abstract submission (deadline March 7): tinyurl.com/yjzxxxt7
Registration (deadline May 17): tinyurl.com/z8cup9fx
The seventh annual Workshop on Stochastic Thermodynamics (WOST VII) will be held May 18-22, 2026. This workshop is entirely online and free to attend. 10-minute lightning talks will be chosen from 1-page abstracts, with priority given to early-career researchers.
Kudos @mleighton.bsky.social
Any partial control (say through a few control parameters) is easily derived as a submanifold of this global manifold. Through this we can tractably compare hundreds of different control sets to identify sparse methods for efficient control.
From this we derived decompositions of the metric tensor that drastically improve numerical calculation (replacing infinite-time integration with matrix multiplication) and connect driving costs to undriven dynamics (through projection of control protocols onto underlying dynamical modes)
We formulated a global thermodynamic manifold whose metric tensor quantifies the dissipation associated with complete dynamic control of a system’s energy landscape
Out in @physrevresearch.bsky.social: beautiful and fundamental theory from @sfuphysics.bsky.social PhD student @jrsawchuk.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1103/j59j...
Interested in the intersection of nonequilibrium thermodynamics and biophysics? Think Canada might be a nice place for your PhD/postdoc? Talk to me! Brand-new funding opportunity has quick deadline (so likely undersubscribed). nserc-crsng.canada.ca/en/news/laun...
SFU internal deadline Feb 11
Come be my colleague @SFU ! Call is out for Canada Impact+ Research Chairs (Assoc Prof/Prof stage)
www.sfu.ca/vpacademic/a...
Rolling review of initial applications begins Jan 19
@biophyscanada.bsky.social
Applications received by January 15, 2026 will receive full consideration. For a full description and application instructions, see
www.sfu.ca/physics/abou...
Ping me if you want to discuss!
We’re hiring!
The Department of Physics
@sfuphysics.bsky.social
at Simon Fraser U (in beautiful and vibrant Vancouver) seeks applications for an Assistant or Associate Professor in Experimental Biophysics, encompassing all scales of life from molecules to ecosystems.
@sfuscience.bsky.social
Out in @physreve.bsky.social:
@sfuphysics.bsky.social MSc student Sara Iranbakhsh reveals how symmetry mismatch between the components of nanoscale rotary motors affects their performance
doi.org/10.1103/k85p...
@sfuscience.bsky.social
This was a stimulating and thoroughly enjoyable melding of experiment and theory. Special salute to lead author Takahide Mishima and the rest of Shoichi Toyabe’s group at Tohoku, former postdoc Deepak Gupta, and current grad student Callum Wareham @sfuphysics.bsky.social @sfuscience.bsky.social
Is it more efficient to push a molecular motor with a constant force, or at a constant velocity? See our collaborative paper in @physrevlett.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1103/b24h...
and the Focus article
physics.aps.org/articles/v18...
to learn the winner and the why (it’s all about the fluctuations).
Johann du Buisson, Jannik Ehrich, mleighton.bsky.social, davidasivak.bsky.social, and John Bechhoefer introduce a one-coordinate test that infers heat flow to flag “demonic” operation. In kinesin simulations tuned to experiments, the motor grows more demon-like as active fluctuations rise.
Still accepting postdoc applications!
New preprint out today: “Information Thermodynamics of Cellular Ion Pumps”. Led by talented undergraduate student Julián Jiménez-Paz, and working with @davidasivak.bsky.social, we explore the thermodynamics of cellular ion pumps like the sodium-potassium pump.
arxiv.org/abs/2506.11248
Fun new paper by Callum @sfuphysics.bsky.social, on energetically efficient multi-parameter driving of our favorite molecular motor (shout out F1!).
doi.org/10.1103/bm3d...
Congratulations to Matt on his Convocation Medal!
Deadline June 30 for initial application. Happy to discuss. Details: tinyurl.com/4zkdasr9
@sfuscience.bsky.social in Vancouver seeks world-leading applicants in strategic areas that include Biophysics (featuring an internationally recognized and highly collaborative group of researchers centered in @sfuphysics.bsky.social).
Canada Excellence Research Chairs offer $4-8M over eight years to build a world-class research focus.
Postdoc opportunity!
Join us in heavenly Vancouver (Canada) to develop fundamental nonequilibrium stat mech, thermo, and info theory applied to biomolecular machines and in close collaboration with experiment.
Details: www.sfu.ca/physics/siva...
Kudos to Matt for his complete leadership from start to finish on this review, which was invited as a result of his compelling, cohesive, and ground-breaking graduate research!
