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Updated: May 18, 2026

Chemotactic Response of Marine Micro-Organisms to Micro-Scale Nutrient Layers
Published on: May 28, 2007
Emergence of a limit cycle for swimming microorganisms in a vortical flow of a viscoelastic fluid
1Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, USA.
Abstract:
We propose that the rheological properties of background fluid play an important role in the interaction of microorganisms with the flow field. The viscoelastic-induced migration of microorganisms in a vortical flow leads to the emergence of a limit cycle. The shape and formation rate of patterns depend on motility, vorticity strength, and rheological properties of the background fluid. Given the inherent viscoelasticity of exopolysaccharides secreted by microorganisms, our results can suggest new mechanisms leading to the vital behavior of microorganisms such as bacterial aggregation and biofilm formation.
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