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Updated: Nov 29, 2025
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A Microfluidic Platform to Study Bioclogging in Porous Media
Published on: October 13, 2022
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Helical locomotion in a porous medium
Ye Chen1, Noah Lordi1, Michael Taylor1
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, California 95053, USA.
Physical Review. E
|November 20, 2020
Summary
Complex environments like porous media significantly alter microswimmer propulsion. This study models how obstacle resistance uniquely impacts helical locomotion in bacteria and artificial microswimmers.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Fluid Dynamics
- Microscale Transport
Background:
- Microorganisms and artificial microswimmers navigate complex, non-viscous environments like mucus, soil, and aquifers.
- Understanding how these complex media affect locomotion is crucial for biological and engineering applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To theoretically model the impact of porous media resistance on helical locomotion.
- To differentiate the effects of resistance on various helical propulsion scenarios.
Main Methods:
- Development of a theoretical model analyzing helical locomotion in porous media.
- Examination of three distinct helical locomotion scenarios: externally torqued propeller, free-swimming bacterium, and torqued cargo-carrying propeller.
Main Results:
- Porous media resistance affects helical locomotion in qualitatively different ways depending on the propulsion scenario.
- Significant differences were observed between torqued helical propulsion and force-free/torque-free swimming in porous media.
Conclusions:
- The study elucidates the nuanced effects of environmental resistance on microswimmer propulsion.
- Results provide insights into bacterial swimming in complex solutions and suggest connections to experimental findings.
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