How does biology fight against the Second Law of Thermodynamics? In this high-level exit talk, I will present my PhD work on so-called “optimal nonequilibrium processes”: how nonequilibrium state changes in a thermodynamic system may be performed most efficiently, in the sense of requiring the least amount of thermodynamic work. Surprisingly, there is a hidden, fundamental geometric structure in this optimization problem that is related to the mathematics of optimal transport theory: given supply and demand constraints, how to optimally send baguettes from bakeries to cafés that requires the least amount of total distance travelled by the baguettes. Finally, I will discuss some implications of these results on the behavior of the ATP synthase protein complex in the mitochondria (the powerhouse of the cell), and per Redwood Center tradition, give my parting advice to younger PhD students.

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