Molecular Cloud Scale "Micro-physics" as Drivers of the Baryon Cycle and Galaxy Evolution

The cycling of baryonic matter between gas phases and into / out of stellar systems is fundamental to our understanding of many astrophysical processes, from star and planet formation to galaxy evolution. I will discuss recent advances in observational studies of this baryon life cycle on ~10-100 pc scales, characteristic of individual molecular clouds and star-forming regions. Thanks to systematic surveys of some 100,000 clouds / regions across nearby galaxies with ALMA, HST, JWST, and VLT, we have learned that (1) star-forming regions are governed by the intricate interplay between gravity, turbulence, shear, and other environmental processes across spatial scales, (2) the baryonic matter cycle on 10-100 pc scales features short timescales (<~10 Myr) and often low star formation efficiencies (<~1% per free-fall time), and (3) these small-scale processes regulate the build-up of stellar populations and the cycling of baryonic matter within and around galaxies. I will also introduce several new collaborative projects that build on these recent progresses to dissect star-forming regions at very high physical resolution, in high-density starburst environments, or in galaxies undergoing environmental quenching.