Locomotion of C. elegans in Structured Environments

TL;DR

This paper investigates the locomotion of C. elegans in structured environments through experiments and simulations, revealing how they navigate complex geometries and transition between swimming and crawling modes.

Contribution

It provides new insights into C. elegans' movement in microstructured environments and demonstrates the transition from swimming to crawling in a fluid-agar interface.

Findings

C. elegans can navigate micro-pillar arrays effectively.

Transition from swimming to crawling observed in fluid-agar interface.

Simulations complement experimental observations.

Abstract

Undulatory locomotion of microorganisms like soil-dwelling worms and spermatozoa, in structured environments, is ubiquitous in nature. They navigate complex environments consisting of fluids and obstacles, negotiating hydrodynamic effects and geometrical constraints. Here, we show fluid dynamics videos of experiments and simulations of {\textit {C. elegans}} moving in an array of micro-pillars. In addition, we show a video of transition from swimming to crawling in drop of {\textit {C. elegans}}, where the fluid is wicking into agar.