An important class of microscale fluid-structure interactions in biology involves the interactions and deformations of flexible elastica, both passive and active, with ambient fluid flows. Examples include the swimming of microorganisms using internally actuated cilia or flagella and the transport of material by the coordinated action of ciliary carpets. How the action of nanometric molecular motors that actuate such filaments coordinates emergent behavior spanning hundreds of microns remains an open question. I will address this by focusing on the nonlinear hydrodynamics of cilia and flagella. First, I will discuss a biophysical model of a spontaneously beating cilium that incorporates various details of their microscopic physics. Building on this, I will illustrate the role of biochemical noise and hydrodynamic interactions in the synchronization of a pair of flagella and, ultimately, elucidate how beds of beating cilia can spontaneously self-organize. This work has implications for understanding fundamental biological problems, such as vertebrate symmetry-breaking.
Zoom link: https://icts-res-in.zoom.us/j/84890206852?pwd=Z0tiZ1JZUFZXREZpak9sMEVsR0lwQT09
Meeting ID: 848 9020 6852
Passcode: 121312