Computational Soft/Bio Matter Lab
Curk
Research Group
Welcome!
Our research focuses on the computational design of soft materials and biomaterials.
We employ computer simulations, analytical theory and machine learning to investigate various soft-matter systems.
To tackle the problems (and indulge our curiosity!), we apply and develop algorithms and simulation methods and combine
physics-based models with various machine learning techniques, see the Research
tab for more information. We have strong ties to experimental groups, and many projects
involve collaboration with experimentalists.
Group photo in June 2025 (Left to right: Urban Bren, Tine Curk, Vid Ravnik, Xiznhao Lin, Ziyun Miao, Turash Pial)
Research Projects
Charge transport in conductive polymers, designing soft memristors for neuromorphic computing
RNA-lipid nanoparticle assembly .
Polyelectrolyte nanoactuators
Optimal DNA packing in viral capsids
Charge regulation in nanoparticle self-assembly
Electroosmotic flow in nanochannels for ionotronics
About the PI
Tine Curk is an assistant professor at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering,
Johns Hopkins University. He enjoys applying
the tools of statistical mechanics and numerical simulations to uncover intriguing and
often counter-intuitive collective phenomena. Current projects include charge-structure
coupling in soft materials and self-assembly of nanostructures for applications
ranging from drug delivery vehicles (RNA-lipid nanoparticles) to soft actuators (artifical muscles) and
the design of intelligent soft materials (artificial brain).
Dr. Curk earned B.S. & M.S. in Physics (U. Maribor) and a Ph.D. in Chemistry (U. Cambridge) in the group of Prof. Daan Frenkel. He was a postdoctoral fellow at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Northwestern University (with Prof. Erik Luijten) and became an assistant professor at JHU MSE in January 2024. He also has a courtesy appointment in Physics & Astronomy and is an associate member of INBT and DSAI. Academic awards include the Herchel Smith scholarship, CAS President’s postdoctoral fellowship, and Marie Curie fellowship.