@article{19670,
  abstract     = {“Pasta alla Cacio e pepe” is a traditional Italian dish made with pasta, pecorino cheese, and pepper. Despite its simple ingredient list, achieving the perfect texture and creaminess of the sauce can be challenging. In this study, we systematically explore the phase behavior of Cacio e pepe sauce, focusing on its stability at increasing temperatures for various proportions of cheese, water, and starch. We identify starch concentration as the key factor influencing sauce stability, with direct implications for practical cooking. Specifically, we delineate a regime where starch concentrations below 1% (relative to cheese mass) lead to the formation of system-wide clumps, a condition determining what we term the “Mozzarella Phase” and corresponding to an unpleasant and separated sauce. Additionally, we examine the impact of cheese concentration relative to water at a fixed starch level, observing a lower critical solution temperature that we theoretically rationalized by means of a minimal effective free-energy model. We further analyze the effect of a less traditional stabilizer, trisodium citrate, and observe a sharp transition from the Mozzarella Phase to a completely smooth and stable sauce, in contrast to starch-stabilized mixtures, where the transition is more gradual. Finally, we present a scientifically optimized recipe based on our findings, enabling a consistently flawless execution of this classic dish.},
  author       = {Bartolucci, G. and Busiello, D. M. and Ciarchi, M. and Corticelli, A. and Di Terlizzi, I. and Olmeda, Fabrizio and Revignas, D. and Schimmenti, V. M.},
  issn         = {1089-7666},
  journal      = {Physics of Fluids},
  number       = {4},
  publisher    = {AIP Publishing},
  title        = {{Phase behavior of Cacio e Pepe sauce}},
  doi          = {10.1063/5.0255841},
  volume       = {37},
  year         = {2025},
}

@article{20082,
  abstract     = {Efficient immune responses rely on the capacity of leukocytes to traverse diverse and complex tissues. To meet such changing environmental conditions, leukocytes usually adopt an ameboid configuration, using their forward-positioned nucleus as a probe to identify and follow the path of least resistance among pre-existing pores. We show that, in dense environments where even the largest pores preclude free passage, leukocytes position their nucleus behind the centrosome and organelles. The local compression imposed on the cell body by its surroundings triggers assembly of a central F-actin pool, located between cell front and nucleus. Central actin pushes outward to transiently dilate a path for organelles and nucleus. Pools of central and front actin are tightly coupled and experimental depletion of the central pool enhances actin accumulation and protrusion formation at the cell front. Although this shifted balance speeds up cells in permissive environments, migration in restrictive environments is impaired, as the unleashed leading edge dissociates from the trapped cell body. Our findings establish an actin regulatory loop that balances path dilation with advancement of the leading edge to maintain cellular coherence.},
  author       = {Dos Reis Rodrigues, Patricia and Avellaneda Sarrió, Mario and Canigova, Nikola and Gärtner, Florian R and Vaahtomeri, Kari and Riedl, Michael and De Vries, Ingrid and Merrin, Jack and Hauschild, Robert and Fukui, Yoshinori and Juanes Garcia, Alba and Sixt, Michael K},
  issn         = {1529-2916},
  journal      = {Nature Immunology},
  pages        = {1258–1266},
  publisher    = {Springer Nature},
  title        = {{Migrating immune cells globally coordinate protrusive forces}},
  doi          = {10.1038/s41590-025-02211-w},
  volume       = {26},
  year         = {2025},
}

@article{19856,
  abstract     = {Unlike in crystals, it is difficult to trace emergent material properties of amorphous solids to their underlying structure. Nevertheless, one can tune features of a disordered spring network, ranging from bulk elastic constants to specific allosteric responses, through highly precise alterations of the structure. This has been understood through the notion of independent bond-level response—the observation that, in many cases, different springs have different effects on different properties. While this idea has motivated inverse design in numerous contexts, it has not been formalized and quantified in a general context that not just informs but enables and predicts inverse design. Here, we show how to quantify independent response by linearizing the simultaneous change in multiple emergent features, and introduce the much stronger notion of fully independent response. Remarkably, we find that the mechanical properties of disordered solids are always fully independent across a wide array of scenarios, regardless of the target features, tunable parameters, system size, dimensionality, and class of interactions. Furthermore, our formulation quantifies the susceptibility of features to parameter changes, which is correlated with the maximum linear tunability. We also demonstrate the implications for multifeature inverse design beyond the linear regime. These results formalize our understanding of a key fundamental difference between ordered and disordered solids while also creating a practical tool to both understand and perform inverse design.},
  author       = {Zu, Mengjie and Desai, Aayush A and Goodrich, Carl Peter},
  issn         = {1079-7114},
  journal      = {Physical Review Letters},
  number       = {23},
  publisher    = {American Physical Society},
  title        = {{Fully independent response in disordered solids}},
  doi          = {10.1103/PhysRevLett.134.238201},
  volume       = {134},
  year         = {2025},
}

@phdthesis{20149,
  abstract     = {Immune responses depend on the coordinated and efficient migration of leukocytes. These
cells, which are embedded and tightly confined within tissues, must navigate and traverse
diverse and complex three-dimensional environments. Leukocytes adapt their locomotory
behavior to the mechanical, geometrical, and biochemical characteristics of their
surroundings. In low-density environments, where the pore size of the interstitial matrix
allows free passage, these cells position the nucleus directly behind the lamellipodium, the
protrusive actin structure that forms the leading front of the cell. In this configuration, they
use the nucleus as a gauge to identify the path of least resistance.
Here, we show that in high-density environments, where the pore size precludes free passage
of the cell body, leukocytes reposition the microtubule-organizing center (MTOC) and
associated organelles in front of the nucleus. In this configuration, they use actin structures
protruding orthogonally to the direction of migration in order to open a path for the cell body.
We identify two distinct actin populations that serve this purpose at different subcellular
localizations. At the leading edge, local indentation of the plasma membrane leads to
recruitment of the Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (WASp), which, via Arp2/3, results in
the formation of individual actin foci. At the cell body, actin polymerization is triggered by
DOCK8, a Cdc42 exchange factor, resulting in the formation of a central actin pool.
We demonstrate that the central and peripheral actin pools are functionally communicating
and that depletion of the central actin pool leads to increased actin accumulation at the cell
front, resulting in excessive extension of the leading edge.},
  author       = {Dos Reis Rodrigues, Patricia},
  issn         = {2663-337X},
  pages        = {114},
  publisher    = {Institute of Science and Technology Austria},
  title        = {{Coordination of protrusive forces in immune cell migration }},
  doi          = {10.15479/AT-ISTA-20149},
  year         = {2025},
}

@misc{18697,
  abstract     = {The information-processing capability of the brain’s cellular network depends on the physical wiring pattern between neurons and their molecular and functional characteristics. Mapping neurons and resolving their individual synaptic connections can be achieved by volumetric imaging at nanoscale resolution with dense cellular labelling. Light microscopy is uniquely positioned to visualize specific molecules but dense, synapse-level circuit reconstruction by light microscopy has been out of reach due to limitations in resolution, contrast, and volumetric imaging capability. Here we developed light-microscopy based connectomics (LICONN). We integrated specifically engineered hydrogel embedding and expansion with comprehensive deep-learning based segmentation and analysis of connectivity, thus directly incorporating molecular information in synapse-level brain tissue reconstructions. LICONN will allow synapse-level brain tissue phenotyping in biological experiments in a readily adoptable manner.},
  author       = {Danzl, Johann G and Lyudchik, Julia and Kreuzinger, Caroline},
  publisher    = {Institute of Science and Technology Austria},
  title        = {{Light-microscopy based connectomic reconstruction of mammalian brain tissue}},
  doi          = {10.15479/AT:ISTA:18697},
  year         = {2025},
}

@article{19704,
  abstract     = {The information-processing capability of the brain’s cellular network depends on the physical wiring pattern between neurons and their molecular and functional characteristics. Mapping neurons and resolving their individual synaptic connections can be achieved by volumetric imaging at nanoscale resolution1,2 with dense cellular labelling. Light microscopy is uniquely positioned to visualize specific molecules, but dense, synapse-level circuit reconstruction by light microscopy has been out of reach, owing to limitations in resolution, contrast and volumetric imaging capability. Here we describe light-microscopy-based connectomics (LICONN). We integrated specifically engineered hydrogel embedding and expansion with comprehensive deep-learning-based segmentation and analysis of connectivity, thereby directly incorporating molecular information into synapse-level reconstructions of brain tissue. LICONN will allow synapse-level phenotyping of brain tissue in biological experiments in a readily adoptable manner.},
  author       = {Tavakoli, Mojtaba and Lyudchik, Julia and Januszewski, Michał and Vistunou, Vitali and Agudelo Duenas, Nathalie and Vorlaufer, Jakob and Sommer, Christoph M and Kreuzinger, Caroline and Oliveira, Bárbara and Cenameri, Alban and Novarino, Gaia and Jain, Viren and Danzl, Johann G},
  issn         = {1476-4687},
  journal      = {Nature},
  pages        = {398--410},
  publisher    = {Springer Nature},
  title        = {{Light-microscopy-based connectomic reconstruction of mammalian brain tissue}},
  doi          = {10.1038/s41586-025-08985-1},
  volume       = {642},
  year         = {2025},
}

@article{19602,
  abstract     = {N4-methylcytosine (4mC) is an important DNA modification in prokaryotes, but its relevance and even its presence in eukaryotes have been mysterious. Here we show that spermatogenesis in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha involves two waves of extensive DNA methylation reprogramming. First, 5-methylcytosine (5mC) expands from transposons to the entire genome. Notably, the second wave installs 4mC throughout genic regions, covering over 50% of CG sites in sperm. 4mC requires a methyltransferase (MpDN4MT1a) that is specifically expressed during late spermiogenesis. Deletion of MpDN4MT1a alters the sperm transcriptome, causes sperm swimming and fertility defects, and impairs post-fertilization development. Our results reveal extensive 4mC in a eukaryote, identify a family of eukaryotic methyltransferases, and elucidate the biological functions of 4mC in reproductive development, thereby expanding the repertoire of functional eukaryotic DNA modifications.},
  author       = {Walker, James and Zhang, Jingyi and Liu, Yalin and Xu, Shujuan and Yu, Yiming and Vickers, Martin and Ouyang, Weizhi and Tálas, Judit and Dolan, Liam and Nakajima, Keiji and Feng, Xiaoqi},
  issn         = {1097-4172},
  journal      = {Cell},
  number       = {11},
  pages        = {2890--2906.e14},
  publisher    = {Elsevier},
  title        = {{Extensive N4 cytosine methylation is essential for Marchantia sperm function}},
  doi          = {10.1016/j.cell.2025.03.014},
  volume       = {188},
  year         = {2025},
}

@article{19664,
  abstract     = {Persistent revivals recently observed in Rydberg atom simulators have challenged our understanding of thermalization and attracted much interest to the concept of quantum many-body scars (QMBSs). QMBSs are non-thermal highly excited eigenstates that coexist with typical eigenstates in the spectrum of many-body Hamiltonians, and have since been reported in multiple theoretical models, including the so-called PXP model, approximately realized by Rydberg simulators. At the same time, questions of how common QMBSs are and in what models they are physically realized remain open. In this Letter, we demonstrate that QMBSs exist in a broader family of models that includes and generalizes PXP to longer-range constraints and states with different periodicity. We show that in each model, multiple QMBS families can be found. Each of them relies on a different approximate algebra, leading to oscillatory dynamics in all cases. However, in contrast to the PXP model, their observation requires launching dynamics from weakly entangled initial states rather than from a product state. QMBSs reported here may be experimentally probed using Rydberg atom simulator in the regime of longer-range Rydberg blockades.},
  author       = {Kerschbaumer, Aron and Ljubotina, Marko and Serbyn, Maksym and Desaules, Jean-Yves Marc},
  issn         = {1079-7114},
  journal      = {Physical Review Letters},
  number       = {16},
  publisher    = {American Physical Society},
  title        = {{Quantum many-body scars beyond the PXP model in Rydberg simulators}},
  doi          = {10.1103/PhysRevLett.134.160401},
  volume       = {134},
  year         = {2025},
}

@misc{19623,
  abstract     = {Persistent revivals recently observed in Rydberg atom simulators have challenged our understanding of thermalization and attracted much interest to the concept of quantum many-body scars (QMBSs). QMBSs are non-thermal highly excited eigenstates that coexist with typical eigenstates in the spectrum of many-body Hamiltonians, and have since been reported in multiple theoretical models, including the so-called PXP model, approximately realized by Rydberg simulators. At the same time, questions of how common QMBSs are and in what models they are physically realized remain open. In this Letter, we demonstrate that QMBSs exist in a broader family of models that includes and generalizes PXP to longer-range constraints and states with different periodicity. We show that in each model, multiple QMBS families can be found. Each of them relies on a different approximate 𝔰𝔲⁡(2) algebra, leading to oscillatory dynamics in all cases. However, in contrast to the PXP model, their observation requires launching dynamics from weakly entangled initial states rather than from a product state. QMBSs reported here may be experimentally probed using Rydberg atom simulator in the regime of longer-range Rydberg blockades.},
  author       = {Desaules, Jean-Yves Marc},
  keywords     = {quantum many-body scars, non-equilibrium physics, Rydberg atoms},
  publisher    = {Institute of Science and Technology Austria},
  title        = {{Research Data for "Quantum Many-Body Scars beyond the PXP Model in Rydberg Simulators"}},
  doi          = {10.15479/AT:ISTA:19623},
  year         = {2025},
}

@article{19278,
  abstract     = {When two insulating, neutral materials are contacted and separated, they exchange electrical charge1. Experiments have long suggested that this ‘contact electrification’ is transitive, with different materials ordering into ‘triboelectric series’ based on the sign of charge acquired2. At the same time, the effect is plagued by unpredictability, preventing consensus on the mechanism and casting doubt on the rhyme and reason that series imply3. Here we expose an unanticipated connection between the unpredictability and order in contact electrification: nominally identical materials initially exchange charge randomly and intransitively, but—over repeated experiments—order into triboelectric series. We find that this evolution is driven by the act of contact itself—samples with more contacts in their history charge negatively to ones with fewer contacts. Capturing this ‘contact bias’ in a minimal model, we recreate both the initial randomness and ultimate order in numerical simulations and use it experimentally to force the appearance of a triboelectric series of our choosing. With a set of surface-sensitive techniques to search for the underlying alterations contact creates, we only find evidence of nanoscale morphological changes, pointing to a mechanism strongly coupled with mechanics. Our results highlight the centrality of contact history in contact electrification and suggest that focusing on the unpredictability that has long plagued the effect may hold the key to understanding it.},
  author       = {Sobarzo Ponce, Juan Carlos A and Pertl, Felix and Balazs, Daniel and Costanzo, Tommaso and Sauer, Markus and Foelske, Annette and Ostermann, Markus and Pichler, Christian M. and Wang, Yongkang and Nagata, Yuki and Bonn, Mischa and Waitukaitis, Scott R},
  issn         = {1476-4687},
  journal      = {Nature},
  number       = {8051},
  publisher    = {Springer Nature},
  title        = {{Spontaneous ordering of identical materials into a triboelectric series}},
  doi          = {10.1038/s41586-024-08530-6},
  volume       = {638},
  year         = {2025},
}

@article{19421,
  abstract     = {The phytohormone auxin (Aux) is a principal endogenous developmental signal in plants. It mediates transcriptional reprogramming by a well-established canonical signalling mechanism. TIR1/AFB auxin receptors are F-box subunits of an ubiquitin ligase complex; after auxin perception, they associate with Aux/IAA transcriptional repressors and ubiquitinate them for degradation, thus enabling the activation of auxin response factor (ARF) transcription factors1,2,3. Here we revise this paradigm by showing that without TIR1 adenylate cyclase (AC) activity4, auxin-induced degradation of Aux/IAAs is not sufficient to mediate the transcriptional auxin response. Abolishing the TIR1 AC activity does not affect auxin-induced degradation of Aux/IAAs but renders TIR1 non-functional in mediating transcriptional reprogramming and auxin-regulated development, including shoot, root, root hair growth and lateral root formation. Transgenic plants show that local cAMP production in the vicinity of the Aux/IAA–ARF complex by unrelated AC enzymes bypasses the need for auxin perception and is sufficient to induce ARF-mediated transcription. These discoveries revise the canonical model of auxin signalling and establish TIR1/AFB-produced cAMP as a second messenger essential for transcriptional reprograming.},
  author       = {Chen, Huihuang and Qi, Linlin and Zou, Minxia and Lu, Mengting and Kwiatkowski, M and Pei, Yuanrong and Jaworski, K and Friml, Jiří},
  issn         = {1476-4687},
  journal      = {Nature},
  pages        = {1011--1016},
  publisher    = {Springer Nature},
  title        = {{TIR1-produced cAMP as a second messenger in transcriptional auxin signalling}},
  doi          = {10.1038/s41586-025-08669-w},
  volume       = {640},
  year         = {2025},
}

@phdthesis{20203,
  abstract     = {Tribocharging, or contact electrification, is the phenomenon in which two initially neutral materials exchange electric charge through contact and subsequent separation. While it is widely observed in everyday life and crucial to numerous natural processes, even the most basic aspects of tribocharging are still a mystery—what are the charge carriers involved and what drives their exchange? This work spans three separate projects that address different aspects of tribocharging. First, we introduce a novel strategy combining Finite Element Method (FEM) simulations with Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy (KPFM) to quantitatively extract surface charge density from surface voltage maps. Second, we present a simple theoretical model that allows for the existence of triboelectric cycles, under the assumption that multiple charge carrying species are involved. Third, we present experimental evidence that identical materials can spontaneously evolve into a triboelectric series, driven by contact history. Modeling this behavior enables the replication of experimental results with simulations, and even experimentally forcing the appearance of a pre-designed series by manipulating contact history. Together, the findings from these projects challenge traditional views on tribocharging, provide new tools for probing it, and open up new avenues of research—all with the hopes of bringing us closer to understanding this puzzling phenomenon.},
  author       = {Sobarzo Ponce, Juan Carlos A},
  isbn         = {978-3-99078-062-6},
  issn         = {2663-337X},
  pages        = {96},
  publisher    = {Institute of Science and Technology Austria},
  title        = {{Tribocharging of identical insulators : Triboelectric series, triboelectric cycles and surface charges}},
  doi          = {10.15479/AT-ISTA-20203},
  year         = {2025},
}

@article{19506,
  abstract     = {Hippocampal reactivation of waking neuronal assemblies in sleep is a key initial step of systems consolidation. Nevertheless, it is unclear whether reactivated assemblies are static or whether they reorganize gradually over prolonged sleep. We tracked reactivated CA1 assembly patterns over ∼20 h of sleep/rest periods and related them to assemblies seen before or after in a spatial learning paradigm using rats. We found that reactivated assembly patterns were gradually transformed and started to resemble those seen in the subsequent recall session. Periods of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and non-REM (NREM) had antagonistic roles: whereas NREM accelerated the assembly drift, REM countered it. Moreover, only a subset of rate-changing pyramidal cells contributed to the drift, whereas stable-firing-rate cells maintained unaltered reactivation patterns. Our data suggest that prolonged sleep promotes the spontaneous reorganization of spatial assemblies, which can contribute to daily cognitive map changes or encoding new learning situations.},
  author       = {Bollmann, Lars and Baracskay, Peter and Stella, Federico and Csicsvari, Jozsef L},
  issn         = {1097-4199},
  journal      = {Neuron},
  number       = {9},
  pages        = {1446--1459.e6},
  publisher    = {Elsevier},
  title        = {{Sleep stages antagonistically modulate reactivation drift}},
  doi          = {10.1016/j.neuron.2025.02.025},
  volume       = {113},
  year         = {2025},
}

@article{19499,
  abstract     = {Quantum hardware is inherently fragile and noisy. We find that the accuracy of traditional quantum error correction algorithms can be improved depending on the hardware. Given different hardware specifications, we automatically synthesize hardware-optimal algorithms for parity correction, qubit resetting, and GHZ (Greenberger–Horne–Zeilinger) state preparation. Using stochastic techniques from computer science, our method presents a computational tool to compute exact accuracy guarantees and synthesize optimal algorithms that are often different from traditional ones. We also show that improvements can be gained with respect to the Qiskit transpiler as we compute the hardware-optimal qubit mapping for the GHZ state-preparation problem.},
  author       = {Muroya Lei, Stefanie and Chatterjee, Krishnendu and Henzinger, Thomas A},
  issn         = {1091-6490},
  journal      = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences},
  number       = {12},
  publisher    = {National Academy of Sciences},
  title        = {{Hardware-optimal quantum algorithms}},
  doi          = {10.1073/pnas.2419273122},
  volume       = {122},
  year         = {2025},
}

@article{19364,
  abstract     = {Thermoelectric coolers (TECs) are pivotal in modern heat management but face limitations in efficiency and manufacturing scalability. We address these challenges by using an extrusion-based 3D printing technique to fabricate high-performance thermoelectric materials. Our ink formulations ensure the integrity of the 3D-printed structure and effective particle bonding during sintering, achieving record-high figure of merit (zT) values of 1.42 for p-type bismuth antimony telluride [(Bi,Sb)2Te3] and 1.3 for n-type silver selenide (Ag2Se) materials at room temperature. The resulting TEC demonstrates a cooling temperature gradient of 50°C in air. Moreover, this scalable and cost-effective method circumvents energy-intensive and time-consuming steps, such as ingot preparation and subsequently machining processes, offering a transformative solution for thermoelectric device production and heralding a new era of efficient and sustainable thermoelectric technologies.},
  author       = {Xu, Shengduo and Horta, Sharona and Lawal, Abayomi Q and Maji, Krishnendu and Lorion, Magali and Ibáñez, Maria},
  issn         = {1095-9203},
  journal      = {Science},
  number       = {6736},
  pages        = {845--850},
  publisher    = {AAAS},
  title        = {{Interfacial bonding enhances thermoelectric cooling in 3D-printed materials}},
  doi          = {10.1126/science.ads0426},
  volume       = {387},
  year         = {2025},
}

@phdthesis{19478,
  author       = {Chen, Huihuang},
  issn         = {2663-337X},
  pages        = {118},
  publisher    = {Institute of Science and Technology Austria},
  title        = {{The cAMP second messenger in auxin signalling}},
  doi          = {10.15479/AT-ISTA-19478},
  year         = {2025},
}

@article{21706,
  abstract     = {Consider a quadratic polynomial Q(ξ1, . . . , ξn) of independent Rademacher random variables ξ1, . . . , ξn. To what extent can Q(ξ1, . . . , ξn) concentrate on a single value? This quadratic version of the classical Littlewood–Offord problem was popularised by Costello, Tao and Vu in their study of symmetric random matrices. In this paper, we obtain an essentially optimal bound for this problem, as conjectured by Nguyen and Vu. Specifically, if Q(ξ1, . . . , ξn) ‘robustly depends on at least m of the ξi’ in the sense that there is no way to pin down the value of Q(ξ1, . . . , ξn) by fixing values for fewer than m of the variables ξi, then we have Pr[Q(ξ1, . . . , ξn) = 0] ≤ O(1/√m). This also implies a similar result in the case where ξ1, . . . , ξn have arbitrary distributions. Our proof combines a number of ideas that may be of independent interest, including an inductive decoupling scheme that reduces quadratic anticoncentration problems
to high-dimensional linear anticoncentration problems. Also, one application of our main result is the resolution of a conjecture of Alon, Hefetz, Krivelevich and Tyomkyn related to graph inducibility. },
  author       = {Kwan, Matthew Alan and Sauermann, Lisa},
  issn         = {1570-5846},
  journal      = {Compositio Mathematica},
  number       = {12},
  pages        = {3089--3139},
  publisher    = {Cambridge University Press},
  title        = {{Resolution of the quadratic Littlewood–Offord problem}},
  doi          = {10.1112/S0010437X25102789},
  volume       = {161},
  year         = {2025},
}

@phdthesis{20276,
  abstract     = {Complex 3D shapes can be created by morphing flat 2D configurations. Such deformations
either preserve the intrinsic material geometry (e.g., folding paper) or modify it through
localized contraction. Once transformed, the 3D shape can be further controlled to achieve a
target functionality. A key challenge is to take the material specifications and the actuation
process as input to automatically design the target 3D shape and its functionality. This thesis
presents two novel computational pipelines for the design and control of shape-morphing
structures used to create functional prototypes.
The first pipeline borrows from the art of origami to fold paper into intricate shapes and
applies this principle to make 3D lighting displays. We introduce, PCBend a computational
design approach that covers a surface with individually addressable RGB LEDs, effectively
forming a low-resolution surface by folding rigid printed circuit boards (PCBs). We optimize
cut patterns on PCBs to act as hinges and co-design LED placement, circuit routing, and
fabrication constraints to produce PCB blueprints. The PCBs are fabricated using automated
standard manufacturing services with LEDs embedded on them. Finally, the fabricated PCBs
are cut along the contour and folded onto a 3D-printed support. The 3D lighting display is
then controlled to display complex surface light patterns.
Creating 3D shapes through folding is only possible if their planar configuration, called ”unfolding” exists without any distortion or overlap. Existing methods often permit distortion
or require multiple patches, which are unsuitable for fabrication pipelines that rely on folding
non-stretchable materials. We reinforce such fabrication pipelines by providing a geometric
relaxation to the problem, where the input shape is modified to admit overlap-free unfolding.
The second fabrication pipeline extends shape morphing to soft robotics by emulating nature’s
blueprint of distributed actuation. Inspired by vertebrates, we build musculoskeletal robots
using modular active actuators, employing Liquid Crystal Elastomers (LCEs) as shrinkable
artificial muscles integrated with 3D-printed bones. The chemical composition of LCEs is
altered to enable untethered actuation through infrared radiation, allowing active control of
individual muscles and their corresponding bones. The combined motion of individual bones
defines the robot’s overall shape and functionality. Our proposed system significantly expands
both the design and control spaces of soft robots, which we harness using our computational
design tools. We build several physical robots that exhibit complex shape morphing and varied
terrain navigation, showcasing the versatility of our pipeline.
This thesis explores applications ranging from intricate light patterns displayed on 3D shapes
formed by folding rigid PCBs to untethered robots that use contractile muscles to exhibit
shape morphing and locomotion. Through these examples, the thesis highlights how computational design and distributed actuation, integrated with novel materials, can transform
passive structures into functional prototypes.},
  author       = {Bhargava, Manas},
  isbn         = {978-3-99078-065-7},
  issn         = {2663-337X},
  pages        = {96},
  publisher    = {Institute of Science and Technology Austria},
  title        = {{Design and control of deformable structures : From PCB lighting displays to elastomer robots}},
  doi          = {10.15479/AT-ISTA-20276},
  year         = {2025},
}

@article{18565,
  abstract     = {We present a computational approach for unfolding 3D shapes isometrically into the plane as a single patch without overlapping triangles. This is a hard, sometimes impossible, problem, which existing methods are forced to soften by allowing for map distortions or multiple patches. Instead, we propose a geometric relaxation of the problem: We modify the input shape until it admits an overlap‐free unfolding. We achieve this by locally displacing vertices and collapsing edges, guided by the unfolding process. We validate our algorithm quantitatively and qualitatively on a large dataset of complex shapes and show its proficiency by fabricating real shapes from paper.},
  author       = {Bhargava, Manas and Schreck, Camille and Freire, M. and Hugron, P. A. and Lefebvre, S. and Sellán, S. and Bickel, Bernd},
  issn         = {1467-8659},
  journal      = {Computer Graphics Forum},
  keywords     = {fabrication, single patch unfolding, mesh simplification},
  number       = {1},
  publisher    = {Wiley},
  title        = {{Mesh simplification for unfolding}},
  doi          = {10.1111/cgf.15269},
  volume       = {44},
  year         = {2025},
}

@unpublished{20286,
  abstract     = {Natural organisms utilize distributed actuation through their musculoskeletal
systems to adapt their gait for traversing diverse terrains or to morph their
bodies for varied tasks. A longstanding challenge in robotics is to emulate
this capability of natural organisms, which has motivated the development of
numerous soft robotic systems. However, such systems are generally optimized
for a single functionality, lack the ability to change form or function on
demand, or remain tethered to bulky control systems. To address these
limitations, we present a framework for designing and controlling robots that
utilize distributed actuation. We propose a novel building block that
integrates 3D-printed bones with liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) muscles as
lightweight actuators, enabling the modular assembly of musculoskeletal robots.
We developed LCE rods that contract in response to infrared radiation, thereby
providing localized, untethered control over the distributed skeletal network
and producing global deformations of the robot. To fully capitalize on the
extensive design space, we introduce two computational tools: one for
optimizing the robot's skeletal graph to achieve multiple target deformations,
and another for co-optimizing skeletal designs and control gaits to realize
desired locomotion. We validate our framework by constructing several robots
that demonstrate complex shape morphing, diverse control schemes, and
environmental adaptability. Our system integrates advances in modular material
building, untethered and distributed control, and computational design to
introduce a new generation of robots that brings us closer to the capabilities
of living organisms.},
  author       = {Bhargava, Manas and Hiraki, Takefumi and Strugaru, Irina-Malina and Zhang, Yuhan and Piovarci, Michael and Daraio, Chiara and Iwai, Daisuke and Bickel, Bernd},
  booktitle    = {arXiv},
  title        = {{Computational design and fabrication of modular robots with untethered control}},
  doi          = {10.48550/arXiv.2508.05410},
  year         = {2025},
}