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Hydrodynamics of a self-actuated bacterial carpet using microscale particle image velocimetry
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Hydrodynamics of a self-actuated bacterial carpet using microscale particle image velocimetry

Hoyeon Kim, U. Kei Cheang, Dalhyung Kim, Jamel Ali and Min Jun Kim
Biomicrofluidics, v 9(2), 024121
01 Mar 2015
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4918978
PMID: 26015833
Featured in Collection :   UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
url
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4918978View
Published, Version of Record (VoR)Open Access (License Unspecified),  Open

Abstract

Biochemical Research Methods Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Life Sciences & Biomedicine Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Physics, Fluids & Plasmas Science & Technology Science & Technology - Other Topics Biophysics Physical Sciences Physics
Microorganisms can effectively generate propulsive force at the microscale where viscous forces overwhelmingly dominate inertia forces; bacteria achieve this task through flagellar motion. When swarming bacteria, cultured on agar plates, are blotted onto the surface of a microfabricated structure, a monolayer of bacteria forms what is termed a "bacterial carpet," which generates strong flows due to the combined motion of their freely rotating flagella. Furthermore, when the bacterial carpet coated microstructure is released into a low Reynolds number fluidic environment, the propulsive force of the bacterial carpet is able to give the microstructure motility. In our previous investigations, we demonstrated motion control of these bacteria powered microbiorobots (MBRs). Without any external stimuli, MBRs display natural rotational and translational movements on their own; this MBR self-actuation is due to the coordination of flagella. Here, we investigate the flow fields generated by bacterial carpets, and compare this flow to the flow fields observed in the bulk fluid at a series of locations above the bacterial carpet. Using microscale particle image velocimetry, we characterize the flow fields generated from the bacterial carpets of MBRs in an effort to understand their propulsive flow, as well as the resulting pattern of flagella driven self-actuated motion. Comparing the velocities between the bacterial carpets on fixed and untethered MBRs, it was found that flow velocities near the surface of the microstructure were strongest, and at distances far above, the surface flow velocities were much smaller. (C) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.

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13 Record Views
6 citations in Web of Science
7 citations in Scopus

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Biochemical Research Methods
Biophysics
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
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