A New Mechanism for Flagella-Like Beating
R. Chelakkot, A. Gopinath, L. Mahadevan, M. F. Hagan
Brandeis MRSEC (0820492)
The planar dynamics of a semi-flexible filament
anchored at one end and comprised of
connected, self-propelled, spheres were
predicted using Brownian dynamics
simulations and continuum elastic theory
theory. For certain parameter ranges the
filament undergoes periodic motion. With a
clamped anchor, the filament undergoes
flagella-like beating (top right), while a pivoting
end leads to a steadily rotating coiled
conformation (bottom right).
filament configurations at
different times are shown in
different colors
clamped anchor
Designing simple, experimentally feasible
systems that mimic the periodic beating of
eukaryotic cilia and flagella has important
implications for controlling fluid flow at the
microscale, as well as for understanding
biological cilia and flagella.
pivoting anchor