Berlin 2018 – scientific programme

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DY: Fachverband Dynamik und Statistische Physik

DY 46: Microswimmers (joint session BP/CPP/DY)

DY 46.4: Talk

Wednesday, March 14, 2018, 16:00–16:15, H 1028

Dynamic Propulsion Force Measurements of Chlamydomonas Microalgae using Micropipette Force Sensors — •Thomas Josef Böddeker, Christian Titus Kreis, Quentin Magdelaine, and Oliver Bäumchen — Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization (MPIDS), Am Faßberg 17, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany

Although the swimming dynamics of microbes, such as bacteria and microalgae, have received a lot of attention in recent years, methods for direct propulsion force measurements are still limited. We present a new approach utilizing micropipettes as force sensors to study the propulsion forces and wall interactions of the unicellular, biflagellated microswimmer Chlamydomonas. Fourier signal analysis of the micropipette deflection reveals a clear signature of the energy output of the microswimmer and provides a handle to measure the frequency and energy associated to the flagella beating. Continuous measurements in a liquid cell allow us to characterize the propulsion of individual cells and to probe the extent of steric and hydrodynamic interactions between beating flagella and solid interfaces. For controlled environmental conditions, we quantify the difference in propulsion energy and beating frequency between swimming in bulk and in close proximity to solid interfaces.