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Leishangthem P, Xu X. Thermodynamic Effects Are Essential for Surface Entrapment of Bacteria. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2024; 132:238302. [PMID: 38905690 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.132.238302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
The entrapment of bacteria near boundary surfaces is of biological and practical importance, yet the underlying physics is not well understood. We demonstrate that it is crucial to include a commonly neglected thermodynamic effect related to the spatial variation of hydrodynamic interactions, through a model that provides analytic explanation of bacterial entrapment in two dimensionless parameters: α_{1} the ratio of thermal energy to self-propulsion, and α_{2} an intrinsic shape factor. For α_{1} and α_{2} that match an Escherichia coli at room temperature, our model quantitatively reproduces existing experimental observations, including two key features that have not been previously resolved: The bacterial "nose-down" configuration, and the anticorrelation between the pitch angle and the wobbling angle. Furthermore, our model analytically predicts the existence of an entrapment zone in the parameter space defined by {α_{1},α_{2}}.
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Affiliation(s)
- Premkumar Leishangthem
- Complex Systems Division, Beijing Computational Science Research Center, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Xinliang Xu
- Complex Systems Division, Beijing Computational Science Research Center, Beijing 100193, China
- Department of Physics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
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2
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Fazeli A, Thakore V, Ala-Nissila T, Karttunen M. Non-Stokesian dynamics of magnetic helical nanoswimmers under confinement. PNAS NEXUS 2024; 3:pgae182. [PMID: 38765716 PMCID: PMC11102084 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgae182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Electromagnetically propelled helical nanoswimmers offer great potential for nanorobotic applications. Here, the effect of confinement on their propulsion is characterized using lattice-Boltzmann simulations. Two principal mechanisms give rise to their forward motion under confinement: (i) pure swimming and (ii) the thrust created by the differential pressure due to confinement. Under strong confinement, they face greater rotational drag but display a faster propulsion for fixed driving frequency in agreement with experimental findings. This is due to the increased differential pressure created by the boundary walls when they are sufficiently close to each other and the particle. We have proposed two analytical relations (i) for predicting the swimming speed of an unconfined particle as a function of its angular speed and geometrical properties, and (ii) an empirical expression to accurately predict the propulsion speed of a confined swimmer as a function of the degree of confinement and its unconfined swimming speed. At low driving frequencies and degrees of confinement, the systems retain the expected linear behavior consistent with the predictions of the Stokes equation. However, as the driving frequency and/or the degree of confinement increase, their impact on propulsion leads to increasing deviations from the Stokesian regime and emergence of nonlinear behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alireza Fazeli
- Department of Mathematics, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada
- Center for Advanced Materials and Biomaterials Research, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Vaibhav Thakore
- Department of Mathematics, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada
- Center for Advanced Materials and Biomaterials Research, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Tapio Ala-Nissila
- Multiscale Statistical and Quantum Physics Group, Quantum Technology Finland Centre of Excellence, Department of Applied Physics, Aalto University, FI-00076 Aalto, Espoo, Finland
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Mathematical Modelling, Department of Mathematical Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE11 3TU, UK
| | - Mikko Karttunen
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
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3
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Liu J, Yuan S, Bremmer A, Hu Q. Convergence of Nanotechnology and Bacteriotherapy for Biomedical Applications. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2309295. [PMID: 38358998 PMCID: PMC11040386 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202309295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Bacteria have distinctive properties that make them ideal for biomedical applications. They can self-propel, sense their surroundings, and be externally detected. Using bacteria as medical therapeutic agents or delivery platforms opens new possibilities for advanced diagnosis and therapies. Nano-drug delivery platforms have numerous advantages over traditional ones, such as high loading capacity, controlled drug release, and adaptable functionalities. Combining bacteria and nanotechnologies to create therapeutic agents or delivery platforms has gained increasing attention in recent years and shows promise for improved diagnosis and treatment of diseases. In this review, design principles of integrating nanoparticles with bacteria, bacteria-derived nano-sized vesicles, and their applications and future in advanced diagnosis and therapeutics are summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Liu
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Division, School of PharmacyUniversity of Wisconsin, Madison (UW‐Madison)MadisonWI53705USA
- Wisconsin Center for NanoBioSystemsUniversity of Wisconsin, Madison (UW‐Madison)MadisonWI53705USA
- Carbone Cancer Center, School of Medicine and Public HealthUniversity of Wisconsin, Madison (UW‐Madison)MadisonWI53705USA
| | - Sichen Yuan
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Division, School of PharmacyUniversity of Wisconsin, Madison (UW‐Madison)MadisonWI53705USA
- Wisconsin Center for NanoBioSystemsUniversity of Wisconsin, Madison (UW‐Madison)MadisonWI53705USA
- Carbone Cancer Center, School of Medicine and Public HealthUniversity of Wisconsin, Madison (UW‐Madison)MadisonWI53705USA
| | - Alexa Bremmer
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Division, School of PharmacyUniversity of Wisconsin, Madison (UW‐Madison)MadisonWI53705USA
| | - Quanyin Hu
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Division, School of PharmacyUniversity of Wisconsin, Madison (UW‐Madison)MadisonWI53705USA
- Wisconsin Center for NanoBioSystemsUniversity of Wisconsin, Madison (UW‐Madison)MadisonWI53705USA
- Carbone Cancer Center, School of Medicine and Public HealthUniversity of Wisconsin, Madison (UW‐Madison)MadisonWI53705USA
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Niu Y, Zhang R, Yuan J. Flagellar motors of swimming bacteria contain an incomplete set of stator units to ensure robust motility. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadi6724. [PMID: 37922360 PMCID: PMC10624342 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adi6724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/05/2023]
Abstract
Flagellated bacteria, like Escherichia coli, swim by rotating helical flagellar filaments powered by rotary flagellar motors at their base. Motor dynamics are sensitive to the load it drives. It was previously thought that motor load was high when driving filament rotation in free liquid environments. However, torque measurements from swimming bacteria revealed substantially lower values compared to single-motor studies. We addressed this inconsistency through motor resurrection experiments, abruptly attaching a 1-micrometer-diameter bead to the filament to ensure high load. Unexpectedly, we found that the motor works with only half the complement of stator units when driving filament rotation. This suggests that the motor is not under high load during bacterial swimming, which we confirmed by measuring the torque-speed relationship by varying media viscosity. Therefore, the motor operates in an intermediate-load region, adaptively regulating its stator number on the basis of external load conditions. This ensures the robustness of bacterial motility when swimming in diverse load conditions and varying flagella numbers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhui Niu
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and Department of Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Rongjing Zhang
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and Department of Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
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Ishikawa T, Pedley TJ. 50-year History and perspective on biomechanics of swimming microorganisms: Part I. Individual behaviours. J Biomech 2023; 158:111706. [PMID: 37572642 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2023.111706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/14/2023]
Abstract
The paired review papers in Parts I and II describe the 50-year history of research on the biomechanics of swimming microorganisms and its prospects in the next 50 years: Part I explains the behaviour of individual microorganisms, and Part II explains collective behaviour. Since the discovery of microorganisms by van Leeuwenhoek in the 17th century, many natural scientists have been interested in their motility because it is directly associated with biological function. A research upsurge occurred in the 1970s, with the elucidation of swimming mechanisms among individual microorganisms and the theoretical derivation of swimming speeds. Various swimming strategies of three types of microorganisms, i.e. bacteria, ciliates and microalgae, are explained in this Part I. We show that some of the behaviours of microorganisms can be described by biomechanical equations and are to some extent predictable. Recent researches have revealed the behaviour of microorganisms in more complex environments and more realistic settings, which are also reviewed in the paper. Last, we provide future prospects for research on microbial behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuji Ishikawa
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tohoku University 6-6-01, Aoba, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8579, Japan.
| | - T J Pedley
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge Centre for Mathematical Sciences, Wilberforce Road, Cambridge CB3 0WA, UK
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Raza MR, George JE, Kumari S, Mitra MK, Paul D. Anomalous diffusion of E. coli under microfluidic confinement and chemical gradient. SOFT MATTER 2023; 19:6446-6457. [PMID: 37606542 DOI: 10.1039/d3sm00286a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
We report a two-layer microfluidic device to study the combined effect of confinement and chemical gradient on the motility of wild-type E. coli. We track individual E. coli in 50 μm and 10 μm wide microchannels, with a channel height of 2 μm, to generate quasi-2D conditions. We find that contrary to expectations, bacterial trajectories are superdiffusive even in the absence of a chemical (glucose) gradient. The superdiffusive behaviour becomes more pronounced upon introducing a chemical gradient or strengthening the lateral confinement. Run length distributions for weak lateral confinement in the absence of chemical gradients follow an exponential distribution. Both confinement and chemoattraction induce deviations from this behaviour, with the run length distributions approaching a power-law form under these conditions. Both confinement and chemoattraction suppress large-angle tumbles as well. Our results suggest that wild-type E. coli modulates both its runs and tumbles in a similar manner under physical confinement and chemical gradient. Our findings have implications for understanding how bacteria modulate their motility behaviour in natural habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Ramiz Raza
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, 400076, India.
| | - Jijo Easo George
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, 400076, India.
| | - Savita Kumari
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, 400076, India.
| | - Mithun K Mitra
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, 400076, India
| | - Debjani Paul
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, 400076, India.
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Nsamela A, Garcia Zintzun AI, Montenegro-Johnson TD, Simmchen J. Colloidal Active Matter Mimics the Behavior of Biological Microorganisms-An Overview. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023; 19:e2202685. [PMID: 35971193 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202202685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
This article provides a review of the recent development of biomimicking behaviors in active colloids. While the behavior of biological microswimmers is undoubtedly influenced by physics, it is frequently guided and manipulated by active sensing processes. Understanding the respective influences of the surrounding environment can help to engineering the desired response also in artificial swimmers. More often than not, the achievement of biomimicking behavior requires the understanding of both biological and artificial microswimmers swimming mechanisms and the parameters inducing mechanosensory responses. The comparison of both classes of microswimmers provides with analogies in their dependence on fuels, interaction with boundaries and stimuli induced motion, or taxis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey Nsamela
- Chair of Physical Chemistry, TU Dresden, 01069, Dresden, Germany
- Elvesys SAS, 172 Rue de Charonne, Paris, 75011, France
| | | | | | - Juliane Simmchen
- Chair of Physical Chemistry, TU Dresden, 01069, Dresden, Germany
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Rasheed A, Hegde O, Chatterjee R, Sampathirao SR, Chakravortty D, Basu S. Physics of self-assembly and morpho-topological changes of Klebsiella pneumoniae in desiccating sessile droplets. J Colloid Interface Sci 2023; 629:620-631. [PMID: 36183643 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2022.09.100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 09/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
HYPOTHESIS The bacteria suspended in pure water self-assemble into unique patterns depending on bacteria-bacteria, bacteria-substrate and bacteria-liquid interactions. The physical forces acting on bacteria vary based on their respective spatial location inside the droplet cause an assorted magnitude of physical stress. The shear and dehydration induced stress on pathogens(bacteria) in drying bio-fluid droplets alters the viability and infectivity. EXPERIMENTS We have investigated the flow and desiccation-driven self-assembly of Klebsiella pneumoniae in the naturally evaporating sessile droplets. Klebsiella pneumoniae exhibits extensive changes in its morphology and forms unique patterns as the droplet dries, revealing hitherto unexplored rich physics governing its survival and infection strategies. Self-assembly of bacteria at the droplet contact line is characterized by order-to-disorder packing transitions with high packing densities and excessive deformations (analysed using scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy). In contrast, thin-film instability-led hole formation at the center of the droplet engenders spatial packing of bacteria analogous to honeycomb weathering. FINDINGS Self-assembly favors the bacteria at the rim of the droplet, leading to enhanced viability and pathogenesis on the famously known "coffee ring" of the droplet compared to the bacteria present at the center of the droplet residue. Mechanistic insights gained via our study can have far-reaching implications for bacterial infection through droplets, e.g., through open wounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdur Rasheed
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Omkar Hegde
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Ritika Chatterjee
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | | | - Dipshikha Chakravortty
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India; School of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695551, India.
| | - Saptarshi Basu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India.
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Yin Y, Yu HT, Tan H, Cai H, Chen HY, Lo CJ, Guo S. Escaping speed of bacteria from confinement. Biophys J 2022; 121:4656-4665. [PMID: 36271621 PMCID: PMC9748248 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2022.10.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Microswimmers such as bacteria exhibit large speed fluctuation when exploring their living environment. Here, we show that the bacterium Escherichia coli with a wide range of length speeds up beyond its free-swimming speed when passing through narrow and short confinement. The speedup is observed in two modes: for short bacteria with L <20 μm, the maximum speed occurs when the cell body leaves the confinement, but a flagellar bundle is still confined. For longer bacteria (L ≥ 20 μm), the maximum speed occurs when the middle of the cell, where the maximum number of flagellar bundles locate, is confined. The two speed-up modes are explained by a vanishing body drag and an increased flagella drag-a universal property of an "ideal swimmer." The spatial variance of speed can be quantitatively explained by a simple model based on the resistance matrix of a partially confined bacterium. The speed change depends on the distribution of motors, and the latter is confirmed by fluorescent imaging of flagellar hooks. By measuring the duration of slowdown and speedup, we find that the effective chemotaxis is biased in filamentous bacteria, which might benefit their survival. The experimental setup can be useful to study the motion of microswimmers near surfaces with different surface chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanfeng Yin
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hsin-Tzu Yu
- Department of Physics and Center for Complex Systems, National Central University, Jhongli, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
| | - Hong Tan
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hong Cai
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hsuan-Yi Chen
- Department of Physics and Center for Complex Systems, National Central University, Jhongli, Taoyuan City, Taiwan; Institute of Physics, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan; Physics Division, National Center for Theoretical Sciences, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Jung Lo
- Department of Physics and Center for Complex Systems, National Central University, Jhongli, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
| | - Shuo Guo
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.
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Al Harraq A, Bello M, Bharti B. A guide to design the trajectory of active particles: From fundamentals to applications. Curr Opin Colloid Interface Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cocis.2022.101612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Guix M, Mestre R, Patiño T, De Corato M, Fuentes J, Zarpellon G, Sánchez S. Biohybrid soft robots with self-stimulating skeletons. Sci Robot 2021; 6:6/53/eabe7577. [PMID: 34043566 DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.abe7577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Bioinspired hybrid soft robots that combine living and synthetic components are an emerging field in the development of advanced actuators and other robotic platforms (i.e., swimmers, crawlers, and walkers). The integration of biological components offers unique characteristics that artificial materials cannot precisely replicate, such as adaptability and response to external stimuli. Here, we present a skeletal muscle-based swimming biobot with a three-dimensional (3D)-printed serpentine spring skeleton that provides mechanical integrity and self-stimulation during the cell maturation process. The restoring force inherent to the spring system allows a dynamic skeleton compliance upon spontaneous muscle contraction, leading to a cyclic mechanical stimulation process that improves the muscle force output without external stimuli. Optimization of the 3D-printed skeletons is carried out by studying the geometrical stiffnesses of different designs via finite element analysis. Upon electrical actuation of the muscle tissue, two types of motion mechanisms are experimentally observed: directional swimming when the biobot is at the liquid-air interface and coasting motion when it is near the bottom surface. The integrated compliant skeleton provides both the mechanical self-stimulation and the required asymmetry for directional motion, displaying its maximum velocity at 5 hertz (800 micrometers per second, 3 body lengths per second). This skeletal muscle-based biohybrid swimmer attains speeds comparable with those of cardiac-based biohybrid robots and outperforms other muscle-based swimmers. The integration of serpentine-like structures in hybrid robotic systems allows self-stimulation processes that could lead to higher force outputs in current and future biomimetic robotic platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Guix
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Baldiri-Reixac 10-12, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Rafael Mestre
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Baldiri-Reixac 10-12, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Tania Patiño
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Baldiri-Reixac 10-12, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.,Chemistry Department, University of Rome, Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Marco De Corato
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Baldiri-Reixac 10-12, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Judith Fuentes
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Baldiri-Reixac 10-12, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Giulia Zarpellon
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Baldiri-Reixac 10-12, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Samuel Sánchez
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Baldiri-Reixac 10-12, 08028 Barcelona, Spain. .,Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Passeig de Lluís Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain
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12
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Purushothaman A, Thampi SP. Hydrodynamic collision between a microswimmer and a passive particle in a micro-channel. SOFT MATTER 2021; 17:3380-3396. [PMID: 33644792 DOI: 10.1039/d0sm02140g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Microswimmers interacting with passive particles in confinement are common in many systems, e.g., spermatozoa encountering other cells or debris in the female reproductive tract or active particles interacting with polymers and tracers in microfluidic channels. The behaviour of such systems is driven by simultaneous, three way hydrodynamic interactions between the microswimmer, the passive particle and the microchannel walls. Therefore, in this work we investigate the hydrodynamic collision between a model microswimmer and a passive particle using three different methods: (i) the point particle approach, (ii) analytical calculations based on method of reflections, and (iii) lattice Boltzmann numerical simulations. We show that the hydrodynamic collision is essentially an asymmetric process - the trajectory of the microswimmer is altered only in an intermediate stage while the passive particle undergoes a three stage displacement with a net displacement towards or away from the microchannel walls. The path of the passive particle is a simple consequence of the velocity field generated by the swimmer: an open triangle in bulk fluid and a loop-like trajectory in confinement. We demonstrate the generality of our findings and conclude that the net displacement of the passive particle due to collision may be capitalised in order to develop applications such as size separation of colloidal particles and deposition of particles in the microchannel interiors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahana Purushothaman
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036, India.
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13
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Soto F, Karshalev E, Zhang F, Esteban Fernandez de Avila B, Nourhani A, Wang J. Smart Materials for Microrobots. Chem Rev 2021; 122:5365-5403. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.0c00999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Soto
- Department of Nanoengineering, Chemical Engineering Program and Contextual Robotics Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Emil Karshalev
- Department of Nanoengineering, Chemical Engineering Program and Contextual Robotics Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Fangyu Zhang
- Department of Nanoengineering, Chemical Engineering Program and Contextual Robotics Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Berta Esteban Fernandez de Avila
- Department of Nanoengineering, Chemical Engineering Program and Contextual Robotics Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Amir Nourhani
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Mathematics, Biology, Biomimicry Research and Innovation Center, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, United States
| | - Joseph Wang
- Department of Nanoengineering, Chemical Engineering Program and Contextual Robotics Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
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14
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Fuller HC, Wei TY, Behrens MR, Ruder WC. The Future Application of Organ-on-a-Chip Technologies as Proving Grounds for MicroBioRobots. MICROMACHINES 2020; 11:E947. [PMID: 33092054 PMCID: PMC7589118 DOI: 10.3390/mi11100947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
An evolving understanding of disease pathogenesis has compelled the development of new drug delivery approaches. Recently, bioinspired microrobots have gained traction as drug delivery systems. By leveraging the microscale phenomena found in physiological systems, these microrobots can be designed with greater maneuverability, which enables more precise, controlled drug release. Their function could be further improved by testing their efficacy in physiologically relevant model systems as part of their development. In parallel with the emergence of microscale robots, organ-on-a-chip technologies have become important in drug discovery and physiological modeling. These systems reproduce organ-level functions in microfluidic devices, and can also incorporate specific biological, chemical, and physical aspects of a disease. This review highlights recent developments in both microrobotics and organ-on-a-chip technologies and envisions their combined use for developing future drug delivery systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haley C. Fuller
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA; (H.C.F.); (T.-Y.W.); (M.R.B.)
| | - Ting-Yen Wei
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA; (H.C.F.); (T.-Y.W.); (M.R.B.)
| | - Michael R. Behrens
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA; (H.C.F.); (T.-Y.W.); (M.R.B.)
| | - Warren C. Ruder
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA; (H.C.F.); (T.-Y.W.); (M.R.B.)
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
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