Bacterial transport of colloids in liquid crystalline environments.
- Resource Type
- Academic Journal
- Authors
- Trivedi RR; Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 440 Henry Mall, Madison, WI 53706, USA. weibel@biochem.wisc.edu.; Maeda R; Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 440 Henry Mall, Madison, WI 53706, USA. weibel@biochem.wisc.edu.; Abbott NL; Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1415 Engineering Dr., Madison, WI 53706, USA.; Spagnolie SE; Department of Mathematics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 480 Lincoln Dr., Madison, WI 53706, USA. spagnolie@math.wisc.edu.; Weibel DB; Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 440 Henry Mall, Madison, WI 53706, USA. weibel@biochem.wisc.edu and Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1101 University Ave., Madison, WI 53706, USA.
- Source
- Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 101295070 Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1744-6848 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 1744683X NLM ISO Abbreviation: Soft Matter Subsets: MEDLINE
- Subject
- Language
- English
We describe the controlled transport and delivery of non-motile eukaryotic cells and polymer microparticles by swimming bacteria suspended in nematic liquid crystals. The bacteria push reversibly attached cargo in a stable, unidirectional path (or along a complex patterned director field) over exceptionally long distances. Numerical simulations and analytical predictions for swimming speeds provide a mechanistic insight into the hydrodynamics of the system. This study lays the foundation for using cargo-carrying bacteria in engineering applications and for understanding interspecies interactions in polymicrobial communities.