Chemokinesis-driven accumulation of active colloids in low-mobility regions of fuel gradients
Abstract Many motile cells exhibit migratory behaviors, such as chemotaxis (motion up or down a chemical gradient) or chemokinesis (dependence of speed on chemical concentration), which enable them to carry out vital functions including immune response, egg fertilization, and predator evasion. These...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2021-02-01
|
| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-83963-x |
| _version_ | 1818981995326210048 |
|---|---|
| author | Jeffrey L. Moran Philip M. Wheat Nathan A. Marine Jonathan D. Posner |
| author_facet | Jeffrey L. Moran Philip M. Wheat Nathan A. Marine Jonathan D. Posner |
| author_sort | Jeffrey L. Moran |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Many motile cells exhibit migratory behaviors, such as chemotaxis (motion up or down a chemical gradient) or chemokinesis (dependence of speed on chemical concentration), which enable them to carry out vital functions including immune response, egg fertilization, and predator evasion. These have inspired researchers to develop self-propelled colloidal analogues to biological microswimmers, known as active colloids, that perform similar feats. Here, we study the behavior of half-platinum half-gold (Pt/Au) self-propelled rods in antiparallel gradients of hydrogen peroxide fuel and salt, which tend to increase and decrease the rods’ speed, respectively. Brownian Dynamics simulations, a Fokker–Planck theoretical model, and experiments demonstrate that, at steady state, the rods accumulate in low-speed (salt-rich, peroxide-poor) regions not because of chemotaxis, but because of chemokinesis. Chemokinesis is distinct from chemotaxis in that no directional sensing or reorientation capabilities are required. The agreement between simulations, model, and experiments bolsters the role of chemokinesis in this system. This work suggests a novel strategy of exploiting chemokinesis to effect accumulation of motile colloids in desired areas. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T17:40:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f99b180729d44a04a486aca9b1fe3374 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T17:40:10Z |
| publishDate | 2021-02-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-f99b180729d44a04a486aca9b1fe33742022-12-21T19:31:08ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222021-02-0111111110.1038/s41598-021-83963-xChemokinesis-driven accumulation of active colloids in low-mobility regions of fuel gradientsJeffrey L. Moran0Philip M. Wheat1Nathan A. Marine2Jonathan D. Posner3Department of Mechanical Engineering, George Mason UniversityIra A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, Arizona State UniversityIra A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, Arizona State UniversityDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of WashingtonAbstract Many motile cells exhibit migratory behaviors, such as chemotaxis (motion up or down a chemical gradient) or chemokinesis (dependence of speed on chemical concentration), which enable them to carry out vital functions including immune response, egg fertilization, and predator evasion. These have inspired researchers to develop self-propelled colloidal analogues to biological microswimmers, known as active colloids, that perform similar feats. Here, we study the behavior of half-platinum half-gold (Pt/Au) self-propelled rods in antiparallel gradients of hydrogen peroxide fuel and salt, which tend to increase and decrease the rods’ speed, respectively. Brownian Dynamics simulations, a Fokker–Planck theoretical model, and experiments demonstrate that, at steady state, the rods accumulate in low-speed (salt-rich, peroxide-poor) regions not because of chemotaxis, but because of chemokinesis. Chemokinesis is distinct from chemotaxis in that no directional sensing or reorientation capabilities are required. The agreement between simulations, model, and experiments bolsters the role of chemokinesis in this system. This work suggests a novel strategy of exploiting chemokinesis to effect accumulation of motile colloids in desired areas.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-83963-x |
| spellingShingle | Jeffrey L. Moran Philip M. Wheat Nathan A. Marine Jonathan D. Posner Chemokinesis-driven accumulation of active colloids in low-mobility regions of fuel gradients Scientific Reports |
| title | Chemokinesis-driven accumulation of active colloids in low-mobility regions of fuel gradients |
| title_full | Chemokinesis-driven accumulation of active colloids in low-mobility regions of fuel gradients |
| title_fullStr | Chemokinesis-driven accumulation of active colloids in low-mobility regions of fuel gradients |
| title_full_unstemmed | Chemokinesis-driven accumulation of active colloids in low-mobility regions of fuel gradients |
| title_short | Chemokinesis-driven accumulation of active colloids in low-mobility regions of fuel gradients |
| title_sort | chemokinesis driven accumulation of active colloids in low mobility regions of fuel gradients |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-83963-x |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jeffreylmoran chemokinesisdrivenaccumulationofactivecolloidsinlowmobilityregionsoffuelgradients AT philipmwheat chemokinesisdrivenaccumulationofactivecolloidsinlowmobilityregionsoffuelgradients AT nathanamarine chemokinesisdrivenaccumulationofactivecolloidsinlowmobilityregionsoffuelgradients AT jonathandposner chemokinesisdrivenaccumulationofactivecolloidsinlowmobilityregionsoffuelgradients |