64 research outputs found
Sheared bioconvection in a horizontal tube
The recent interest in using microorganisms for biofuels is motivation enough
to study bioconvection and cell dispersion in tubes subject to imposed flow. To
optimize light and nutrient uptake, many microorganisms swim in directions
biased by environmental cues (e.g. phototaxis in algae and chemotaxis in
bacteria). Such taxes inevitably lead to accumulations of cells, which, as many
microorganisms have a density different to the fluid, can induce hydrodynamic
instabilites. The large-scale fluid flow and spectacular patterns that arise
are termed bioconvection. However, the extent to which bioconvection is
affected or suppressed by an imposed fluid flow, and how bioconvection
influences the mean flow profile and cell transport are open questions. This
experimental study is the first to address these issues by quantifying the
patterns due to suspensions of the gravitactic and gyrotactic green
biflagellate alga Chlamydomonas in horizontal tubes subject to an imposed flow.
With no flow, the dependence of the dominant pattern wavelength at pattern
onset on cell concentration is established for three different tube diameters.
For small imposed flows, the vertical plumes of cells are observed merely to
bow in the direction of flow. For sufficiently high flow rates, the plumes
progressively fragment into piecewise linear diagonal plumes, unexpectedly
inclined at constant angles and translating at fixed speeds. The pattern
wavelength generally grows with flow rate, with transitions at critical rates
that depend on concentration. Even at high imposed flow rates, bioconvection is
not wholly suppressed and perturbs the flow field.Comment: 19 pages, 9 figures, published version available at
http://iopscience.iop.org/1478-3975/7/4/04600
A random cell motility gradient downstream of FGF controls elongation of amniote embryos
Vertebrate embryos are characterized by an elongated antero-posterior (AP) body axis, which forms by progressive cell deposition from a posterior growth zone in the embryo. Here, we used tissue ablation in the chicken embryo to demonstrate that the caudal presomitic mesoderm (PSM) has a key role in axis elongation. Using time-lapse microscopy, we analysed the movements of fluorescently labelled cells in the PSM during embryo elongation, which revealed a clear posterior-to-anterior gradient of cell motility and directionality in the PSM. We tracked the movement of the PSM extracellular matrix in parallel with the labelled cells and subtracted the extracellular matrix movement from the global motion of cells. After subtraction, cell motility remained graded but lacked directionality, indicating that the posterior cell movements associated with axis elongation in the PSM are not intrinsic but reflect tissue deformation. The gradient of cell motion along the PSM parallels the fibroblast growth factor (FGF)/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) gradient1, which has been implicated in the control of cell motility in this tissue2. Both FGF signalling gain- and loss-of-function experiments lead to disruption of the motility gradient and a slowing down of axis elongation. Furthermore, embryos treated with cell movement inhibitors (blebbistatin or RhoK inhibitor), but not cell cycle inhibitors, show a slower axis elongation rate. We propose that the gradient of random cell motility downstream of FGF signalling in the PSM controls posterior elongation in the amniote embryo. Our data indicate that tissue elongation is an emergent property that arises from the collective regulation of graded, random cell motion rather than by the regulation of directionality of individual cellular movements
Mean-field analysis of a dynamical phase transition in a cellular automaton model for collective motion
A cellular automaton model is presented for random walkers with biologically
motivated interactions favoring local alignment and leading to collective
motion or swarming behavior. The degree of alignment is controlled by a
sensitivity parameter, and a dynamical phase transition exhibiting spontaneous
breaking of rotational symmetry occurs at a critical parameter value. The model
is analyzed using nonequilibrium mean field theory: Dispersion relations for
the critical modes are derived, and a phase diagram is constructed. Mean field
predictions for the two critical exponents describing the phase transition as a
function of sensitivity and density are obtained analytically.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, final version as publishe
Novel type of phase transition in a system of self-driven particles
A simple model with a novel type of dynamics is introduced in order to
investigate the emergence of self-ordered motion in systems of particles with
biologically motivated interaction. In our model particles are driven with a
constant absolute velocity and at each time step assume the average direction
of motion of the particles in their neighborhood with some random perturbation
() added. We present numerical evidence that this model results in a
kinetic phase transition from no transport (zero average velocity, ) to finite net transport through spontaneous symmetry breaking of the
rotational symmetry. The transition is continuous since is
found to scale as with
Collective Motion and Phase Transitions of Symmetric Camphor Boats
The motion of several self-propelled boats in a narrow channel displays
spontaneous pattern formation and kinetic phase transitions. In contrast with
previous studies on self-propelled particles, this model does not require
stochastic fluctuations and it is experimentally accessible. By varying the
viscosity in the system, it is possible to form either a stationary state,
correlated or uncorrelated oscillations, or unidirectional flow. Here, we
describe and analyze these self organized patterns and their transitions.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figure
First- and second-order phase transitions in a driven lattice gas with nearest-neighbor exclusion
A lattice gas with infinite repulsion between particles separated by
lattice spacing, and nearest-neighbor hopping dynamics, is subject to a drive
favoring movement along one axis of the square lattice. The equilibrium (zero
drive) transition to a phase with sublattice ordering, known to be continuous,
shifts to lower density, and becomes discontinuous for large bias. In the
ordered nonequilibrium steady state, both the particle and order-parameter
densities are nonuniform, with a large fraction of the particles occupying a
jammed strip oriented along the drive. The relaxation exhibits features
reminiscent of models of granular and glassy materials.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures; results due to bad random number generator
corrected; significantly revised conclusion
Atomic Force Microscopy of height fluctuations of fibroblast cells
We investigated the nanometer scale height fluctuations of 3T3 fibroblast
cells with the atomic force microscope (AFM) under physiological conditions.
Correlation between these fluctuations and lateral cellular motility can be
observed. Fluctuations measured on leading edges appear to be predominantly
related to actin polymerization-depolymerization processes. We found fast (5
Hz) pulsatory behavior with 1--2 nm amplitude on a cell with low motility
showing emphasized structure of stress fibres. Myosin driven contractions of
stress fibres are thought to induce this pulsation.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, 1 tabl
Localized bioconvection of Euglena caused by phototaxis in the lateral direction
Euglena, a swimming micro-organism, exhibited a characteristic bioconvection
that was localized at the center of a sealed chamber under bright illumination
to induce negative phototaxis. This localized pattern consisted of high-density
spots, in which convection was found. These observations were reproduced by a
mathematical model that was based on the phototaxis of individual cells in both
the vertical and lateral directions. Our results indicate that this convection
is maintained by upward swimming, as with general bioconvection, and the
localization originates from lateral phototaxis
Active Brownian Particles. From Individual to Collective Stochastic Dynamics
We review theoretical models of individual motility as well as collective
dynamics and pattern formation of active particles. We focus on simple models
of active dynamics with a particular emphasis on nonlinear and stochastic
dynamics of such self-propelled entities in the framework of statistical
mechanics. Examples of such active units in complex physico-chemical and
biological systems are chemically powered nano-rods, localized patterns in
reaction-diffusion system, motile cells or macroscopic animals. Based on the
description of individual motion of point-like active particles by stochastic
differential equations, we discuss different velocity-dependent friction
functions, the impact of various types of fluctuations and calculate
characteristic observables such as stationary velocity distributions or
diffusion coefficients. Finally, we consider not only the free and confined
individual active dynamics but also different types of interaction between
active particles. The resulting collective dynamical behavior of large
assemblies and aggregates of active units is discussed and an overview over
some recent results on spatiotemporal pattern formation in such systems is
given.Comment: 161 pages, Review, Eur Phys J Special-Topics, accepte
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