Activity-Induced Enhancement of Superdiffusive Transport in Bacterial Turbulence
Superdiffusion processes significantly promote the transport of tiny passive particles within biological fluids. Activity, one of the essential measures for living matter, however, is less examined in terms of how and to what extent it can improve the diffusivity of the moving particles. Here, bacte...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-05-01
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| Series: | Micromachines |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/13/5/746 |
| _version_ | 1797497772550651904 |
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| author | Chenliang Xie Yanan Liu Hao Luo Guangyin Jing |
| author_facet | Chenliang Xie Yanan Liu Hao Luo Guangyin Jing |
| author_sort | Chenliang Xie |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Superdiffusion processes significantly promote the transport of tiny passive particles within biological fluids. Activity, one of the essential measures for living matter, however, is less examined in terms of how and to what extent it can improve the diffusivity of the moving particles. Here, bacterial suspensions are confined within the microfluidic channel at the state of bacterial turbulence, and are tuned to different activity levels by oxygen consumption in control. Systematic measurements are conducted to determine the superdiffusion exponent, which characterizes the diffusivity strength of tracer particles, depending on the continuously injecting energy converted to motile activity from swimming individuals. Higher activity is quantified to drastically enhance the superdiffusion process of passive tracers in the short-time regime. Moreover, the number density of the swimming bacteria is controlled to contribute to the <i>field</i> activity, and then to strengthen the super-diffusivity of tracers, distinguished by regimes with and without collective motion of interacting bacteria. Finally, the non-slip surfaces of the microfluidic channel lower the superdiffusion of immersed tracers due to the resistance, with the small diffusivity differing from the counterpart in the bulk. The findings here suggest ways of controlled diffusion and transport of substances within the living system with different levels of nutrition and resources and boundary walls, leading to efficient mixing, drug delivery and intracellular communications. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:24:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6874323000d34b9caf1699cc0a9f31d6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-666X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:24:02Z |
| publishDate | 2022-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Micromachines |
| spelling | doaj.art-6874323000d34b9caf1699cc0a9f31d62023-11-23T12:12:31ZengMDPI AGMicromachines2072-666X2022-05-0113574610.3390/mi13050746Activity-Induced Enhancement of Superdiffusive Transport in Bacterial TurbulenceChenliang Xie0Yanan Liu1Hao Luo2Guangyin Jing3School of Physics, Northwest University, Xi’an 710127, ChinaSchool of Physics, Northwest University, Xi’an 710127, ChinaSchool of Physics, Northwest University, Xi’an 710127, ChinaSchool of Physics, Northwest University, Xi’an 710127, ChinaSuperdiffusion processes significantly promote the transport of tiny passive particles within biological fluids. Activity, one of the essential measures for living matter, however, is less examined in terms of how and to what extent it can improve the diffusivity of the moving particles. Here, bacterial suspensions are confined within the microfluidic channel at the state of bacterial turbulence, and are tuned to different activity levels by oxygen consumption in control. Systematic measurements are conducted to determine the superdiffusion exponent, which characterizes the diffusivity strength of tracer particles, depending on the continuously injecting energy converted to motile activity from swimming individuals. Higher activity is quantified to drastically enhance the superdiffusion process of passive tracers in the short-time regime. Moreover, the number density of the swimming bacteria is controlled to contribute to the <i>field</i> activity, and then to strengthen the super-diffusivity of tracers, distinguished by regimes with and without collective motion of interacting bacteria. Finally, the non-slip surfaces of the microfluidic channel lower the superdiffusion of immersed tracers due to the resistance, with the small diffusivity differing from the counterpart in the bulk. The findings here suggest ways of controlled diffusion and transport of substances within the living system with different levels of nutrition and resources and boundary walls, leading to efficient mixing, drug delivery and intracellular communications.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/13/5/746microfluidic channelbacteriacollective motionsuperdiffusion |
| spellingShingle | Chenliang Xie Yanan Liu Hao Luo Guangyin Jing Activity-Induced Enhancement of Superdiffusive Transport in Bacterial Turbulence Micromachines microfluidic channel bacteria collective motion superdiffusion |
| title | Activity-Induced Enhancement of Superdiffusive Transport in Bacterial Turbulence |
| title_full | Activity-Induced Enhancement of Superdiffusive Transport in Bacterial Turbulence |
| title_fullStr | Activity-Induced Enhancement of Superdiffusive Transport in Bacterial Turbulence |
| title_full_unstemmed | Activity-Induced Enhancement of Superdiffusive Transport in Bacterial Turbulence |
| title_short | Activity-Induced Enhancement of Superdiffusive Transport in Bacterial Turbulence |
| title_sort | activity induced enhancement of superdiffusive transport in bacterial turbulence |
| topic | microfluidic channel bacteria collective motion superdiffusion |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/13/5/746 |
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