The Role of Confinement on Biologically Derived Liquid Crystals

Suspensions of stabilized, dilute microtubules provide a versatile model system for understanding the structure of confined liquid crystals. Microtubule solutions are easily transported as a simple monomeric fluid that can easily be polymerized into rod-like macromolecules after they are confined within quasi-2D geometries (microfluidics). Using polarization and confocal microscopy, we analyze the structure of liquid crystals in a variety of geometries. We will present results on the role of confinement, boundary conditions and concentration, specifically discussing how each variable alters nematic ordering.