Remote-Controlled Microswimmers

Jülich physicists simulate guided movements of bacteria along surfaces

Jülich, 22 May 2015 – Some strains of bacteria begin to swim in circles close to a surface, in the same way as a car whose wheels lose contact with the road on one side. How tight these circles are and in what direction the bacteria swim depends on the slip of the surface, as Jülich physicists have discovered with the aid of computer simulations. The calculations also show how the bacteria can be guided along a straight path by means of modified surfaces. These findings could be useful in order to separate different bacterial strains for biomedical studies. (Scientific Reports, DOI: 10.1038/srep09586)

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Last Modified: 22.05.2022