Dresden 2014 – scientific programme
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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 17: Microswimmers (joint DY/BP)
BP 17.9: Talk
Tuesday, April 1, 2014, 11:45–12:00, ZEU 146
Direct Measurements of Active Flagellar Fluctuations — •Benjamin Friedrich1, Rui Ma2, Gary Klindt1, Frank Julicher1, and Ingmar Riedel3 — 1Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems — 2Institute for Advanced Study, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China — 3Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
The eukaryotic flagellum beats regularly, driven by the oscillatory dynamics of molecular motors, to propel cells and pump fluids. Small, but perceivable fluctuations in the beat of individual flagella have physiological implications for synchronization in collections of flagella as well as for hydrodynamic interactions between flagellated swimmers. Here, we characterize phase diffusion and amplitude fluctuations of sperm flagellar beat patterns. We employ shape mode analysis and limit cycle reconstruction for a low-dimensional representation of flagellar bending waves. We find that flagellar fluctuations are dominantly of active origin. Using a minimal model of collective motor oscillations, we demonstrate how active fluctuations can naturally arise from the stochastic dynamics of individual motors.