Researchers have studied how microswimmers, like bacteria or sperm, swim through fluids with both solid and liquid-like properties e.g. gels. They found that subtle changes in swimmer features, its structure and how it moves, invoke a dramatically different response from the fluid. They also discovered that the similarity in size between the structure of the fluid and the swimmer led to a wide range of interesting behavior.
Can ‘microswimmers’ swim through jelly?
Researchers have studied how microswimmers, like bacteria or sperm, swim through fluids with both solid and liquid-like properties e.g. gels. They found that subtle changes in swimmer features, its structure and how it moves, invoke a dramatically different response from the fluid. They also discovered that the similarity in size between the structure of the fluid and the swimmer led to a wide range of interesting behavior.
