Staff profile

Short biography

I am a soft matter physicist with an interest in understanding the mechanistic origins of the unique and unusual mechanical properties of living materials. My research focusses in creating simple reductionist systems to understand complex biomechanical phenomena, particularly related to cytoskeletal filaments and lipid membranes. My research background is broad and varied and I enjoy making connections with researchers from connected disciplines including theoretical researchers, industrial scientists and biologists. Since joining Durham in 2020, my current interests focus on how biological networks respond and adapt to changing chemical and mechanical perturbation. 

• 2020 - present: Lecturer in Soft Condensed Matter, Durham University
• 2018-2020: Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Engineered Polyproteins, University of Leeds
• 2015-2018: Postdoctoral Researcher in Biological Soft Matter, AMOLF, the Netherlands
• 2013-2015: Postdoctoral Researcher in Mechanics of Lipid Membranes, University of Leeds
• 2008-2013: PhD in Physics of Biological and Soft Matter, Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge and Unilever R&D
• 2003-2008: Masters Degree in Physics, University of Glasgow

• Atomic Force Microscopy/Spectroscopy
• Cytoskeletal Mechanics
• Lipid Membranes
• Microrheology
• Nonlinear Rheology
• Soft condensed matter physics

Journal Article

• Aufderhorst-Roberts, A., Cussons, S., Brockwell, D. J., & Dougan, L. (2023). Diversity of viscoelastic properties of an engineered muscle-inspired protein hydrogel. Soft Matter, 19(17), 3167-3178. https://doi.org/10.1039/d2sm01225a
• Aufderhorst-Roberts, A., & Staykova, M. (2022). Scratching beyond the surface — minimal actin assemblies as tools to elucidate mechanical reinforcement and shape change. Emerging Topics in Life Sciences, 6(6), 583-592. https://doi.org/10.1042/etls20220052
• Aufderhorst-Roberts, A., Hughes, M. D., Hare, A., Head, D. A., Kapur, N., Brockwell, D. J., & Dougan, L. (2020). Reaction Rate Governs the Viscoelasticity and Nanostructure of Folded Protein Hydrogels. Biomacromolecules, 21(10), 4253-4260. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biomac.0c01044
• Burla, F., Mulla, Y., Vos, B. E., Aufderhorst-Roberts, A., & Koenderink, G. H. (2019). From mechanical resilience to active material properties in biopolymer networks. Nature Reviews Physics, 1(4), 249-263. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42254-019-0036-4
• Aufderhorst-Roberts, A., & Koenderink, G. H. (2019). Stiffening and inelastic fluidization in vimentin intermediate filament networks. Soft Matter, 15(36), 7127-7136. https://doi.org/10.1039/c9sm00590k
• Mulla, Y., Aufderhorst-Roberts, A., & Koenderink, G. H. (2018). Shaping up synthetic cells. Physical Biology, 15(4), Article 041001. https://doi.org/10.1088/1478-3975/aab923
• Lopez, C. G., Saldanha, O., Aufderhorst-Roberts, A., Martinez-Torres, C., Kuijs, M., Koenderink, G. H., …Huber, K. (2018). Effect of ionic strength on the structure and elongational kinetics of vimentin filaments. Soft Matter, 14(42), 8445-8454. https://doi.org/10.1039/c8sm01007b
• Aufderhorst-Roberts, A., Baker, D., Foster, R. J., Cayre, O., Mattsson, J., & Connell, S. D. (2018). Nanoscale mechanics of microgel particles. Nanoscale, 10(34), 16050-16061. https://doi.org/10.1039/c8nr02911c
• Aufderhorst-Roberts, A., & Koenderink, G. (2017). Stiffening and softening of cytoskeletal networks: rheological insights from minimal systems. European Biophysics Journal with Biophysics Letters, 46(1),
• Aufderhorst-Roberts, A., Chandra, U., & Connell, S. D. (2017). Three-Phase Coexistence in Lipid Membranes. Biophysical Journal, 112(2), 313-324. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpj.2016.12.025
• Aufderhorst-Roberts, A., Heath, G. R., Goodchild, J. A., & Connell, S. D. (2016). The Ternary Lipid Phase Diagram by AFM. Biophysical Journal, 110(3, 1), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpj.2015.11.3111
• Frith, W., Donald, A., Adams, D., & Aufderhorst-Roberts, A. (2015). Gels formed from amino-acid derivatives, their novel rheology as probed by bulk and particle tracking rheological methods. Journal of Non-Newtonian Fluid Mechanics, 222(SI), 104-111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnnfm.2014.09.008
• Leite, N. B., Aufderhorst-Roberts, A., Palma, M. S., Connell, S. D., Ruggiero Neto, J., & Beales, P. A. (2015). PE and PS Lipids Synergistically Enhance Membrane Poration by a Peptide with Anticancer Properties. Biophysical Journal, 109(5), 936-947. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpj.2015.07.033
• Aufderhorst-Roberts, A., Frith, W. J., & Donald, A. M. (2014). A microrheological study of hydrogel kinetics and micro-heterogeneity. The European Physical Journal E, 37(5), Article 44. https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2014-14044-y
• Aufderhorst-Roberts, A., Frith, W. J., Kirkland, M., & Donald, A. M. (2014). Microrheology and Microstructure of Fmoc-Derivative Hydrogels. Langmuir, 30(15), 4483-4492. https://doi.org/10.1021/la5005819
• Aufderhorst-Roberts, A., Frith, W. J., & Donald, A. M. (2012). Micro-scale kinetics and heterogeneity of a pH triggered hydrogel. Soft Matter, 8(21), 5940-5946. https://doi.org/10.1039/c2sm25158b
• Aufderhorst-Roberts, A., & et al. (2009). General discussion. Faraday Discussions, 143, 169-186. https://doi.org/10.1039/b915406j