Syracuse Sun

Physics alumna Erin McCarthy ’23, was the lead author on a study published in Physical Review Letters, alongside co-author Professor M. Lisa Manning. The study uncovered mechanisms that cause particles to sort spontaneously into different groups.

In an interview, M. Lisa Manning, the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Physics, highlighted the significance of having their paper published in Physical Review Letters, stating, “Your scientific peers must judge it as exceptional.”

Erin McCarthy, reflecting on her time at Syracuse University, expressed her passion for research, saying, “I learned how much I love research and want it to be a part of my future.”

The research team, led by McCarthy, utilized computational physics modeling to understand how particles self-sort into different groups. This study has implications for future basic medical research and bioengineering.

McCarthy explained the motivation behind the research, stating, “We wanted to understand, if you remove chemistry and look strictly at physics, what are the mechanisms by which this reorganization can happen spontaneously?”

The team's findings challenged previous models by revealing that at high densities, the difference in activity between two populations of particles does not cause them to sort. This has important implications for understanding how biological particles, such as cells and proteins, organize themselves in dense environments like tissues.

M. Lisa Manning praised McCarthy's dedication to the research, mentioning, “It’s just a fantastic testament to her work ethic and brilliance that this paper appeared in such a prestigious journal.”

Erin McCarthy's journey from undergraduate researcher to lead author on a groundbreaking study exemplifies the exceptional quality of students and research opportunities at Syracuse University.

The study not only sheds light on the physics behind self-sorting mechanisms but also underscores the importance of interdisciplinary research in fields like bioengineering and medicine.