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SUMMARY:Shear-thinning effects on microswimmers - Tom Montenegro-Johnson (
 DAMTP)
DTSTART:20140221T154400Z
DTEND:20140221T155400Z
UID:TALK51083@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Dr C. P.  Caulfield
DESCRIPTION:An important environmental factor impacting cell motility is t
 he rheology of the surrounding fluid. Mammalian sperm must progress throug
 h physiological mucus\, a suspension of polymers that twist\, writhe and a
 lign with flow. These polymers endow mucus with rheological properties tha
 t affect sperms' ability to penetrate. Using the method of femlets\, a new
  finite element technique entailing an immersed force representation\, I w
 ill present novel physical mechanisms through which shear-thinning\, an im
 portant property of physiological mucus affects microscopic swimmers. In p
 articular\, I will show that these effects are sensitive to the swimming s
 troke employed\, and present example reciprocal swimmers that violate Purc
 ell's ``Scallop Theorem''
LOCATION:MR2\, Centre for Mathematical Sciences\, Wilberforce Road\, Cambr
 idge
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