As dramatized in the science-fiction film Arrival, decoding the communication styles of other species is a frustrating but rewarding activity. Lemurs use vocalizations — barks, high-pitched shrieks, grunts, chirps, and other sounds — to alert fellow group members when predators are near, to warn competitors to stay away, or to communicate with other group members who might be far away in the forest. Although aye-aye lemurs (Daubentonia madagascariensis) have been at the Duke Lemur Center since 1987, their seven distinct vocalizations have not been well-studied for decades. Researchers are studying how aye-ayes respond to novel objects and humans vs familiar objects and humans, as well as the vocalizations of newborn aye-ayes. By understanding the circumstances that elicit different communications, we can gain new insight into how primates think and relate to one another.

Much of our understanding of the universe has come from leveraging tools that allow us to see beyond the naked eye. Similarly, we have developed ways to observe matter at different time scales than ours, including the atomic and electronic scales -- much faster than we can observe directly. By using laser pulses to produce still images to visualize electrons and their complex dance, we may unlock the emergent properties driven by quantum mechanics in matter. The Kemper group studies the fundamental physics of interacting electrons and atoms at their characteristic ultrashort time scales by modeling and simulating their behavior on supercomputers. In collaboration with experimental groups that use ultrafast laser pulses to produce sequence of still images every quadrillionth of a second — visualizing atomic particles as they move inside matter — resulting in a better understanding of quantum physics and quantum matter.

We’re familiar with force diagrams that represent simple situations - like a box on a slanted ramp. But what about more complex yet familiar situations like the sand on a beach, or cereal stuck in a box? If we could look underneath a beach, we would observe that each footstep transfers its forces downward through the points where the grains are in contact with each other. Tracing these paths reveals a tenuous network of connections between the grains. In our research, we study how the statistical properties of this force network provide an important control on how the bulk material behaves, from acoustical transmissions to particle slip and eventual flow.

The key to treating cancer is to destroy as much of the tumor as possible while preserving the healthy tissue. Cut too little and the tumor grows back. Cut too much and wreak havoc on the patient. Recent biological insights and technological advancements are worked into the mathematical optimization models and algorithms for radiotherapy. Conversely, mathematical analysis can lead to medical improvements! For example, our math research has found that the benefit of radiotherapy can be substantially increased by using a continuously modulated radiation beam whose shape and intensity is changing as it is rotating around the patient (“arc therapy”); and designing multi-day treatments that treat different parts of the tumor on each day of the treatment (“spatiotemporal fractionation”).

Beginning in the 1930s,, scientists had noted that the motions of galaxies within galaxy clusters did not make sense unless there was a significant amount of unseen mass in addition to the visible stars. In the 70’s further evidence was uncovered to support this theory and today modern cosmology recognizes that dark matter, which is invisible and has not been directly observed, makes up about 80% of the matter in the Universe. One of the key detection methods is known as gravitational lensing, where dark matter’s gravity warps the shape of space itself, causing the light of distant galaxies to bend around it. Gravitational lensing allows us to map out the dark matter distributed in the Universe in a “cosmic web,” with dark matter coming together in clumps, sheets, and filaments.

Antibiotic resistant pathogens infect over 2 million people in the US every year and the CDC published a report in April 2018 documenting over 220 instances of germs with “unusual” antibiotic resistance inside the US. Researchers at the Williams Lab are developing a genes-to-molecules synthetic biology pipeline for the synthesis, diversification, and discovery of new-to-Nature molecules — using molecules from Nature as a platform for drug discovery. By studying how Nature constructs antibiotics and by learning how to reprogram Nature to make new versions of them, the Williams Lab is helping us defend against some of the most dangerous pathogens threatening humanity.