Polymers and membranes are the one and the two-dimensional archetypes of the soft objects that compose the colloidal world. Ubiquitous in the living realm and in many industry formulations, these fluctuating ropes and sheets display a fascinating behavior that has inspired many developments at the forefront of present nanotechnology trends. Soft Condensed Matter objects such as those made from polymers and membranes are easily deformed by viscous, electric, magnetic and gravitational stresses. They also exhibit thermal fluctuations. This susceptibility to weak forces provides many pathways for structuring and patterning a range of nano-structures from soft materials. In this lecture we will i) review theoretical and experimental aspects of the science of polymers and membranes ii) discuss recent progress in the understanding of polymer membrane interactions and iii) forecast further fundamental developments in this field and speculate on potential applications.
ICS, Strasbourg