Twist and turn. Elastohydrodynamics of microscale active fibres

TL;DR

This paper introduces the modeling of microscale elastohydrodynamics, focusing on elastic filaments like cilia and flagella, highlighting their biological features and propulsion mechanisms in viscous environments.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of the theoretical framework for modeling microscale elastic filaments and discusses biological and artificial active systems.

Findings

Characterization of biological filament features affecting propulsion

Overview of theoretical modeling approaches

Examples of biological and artificial active filaments

Abstract

Cellular locomotion often involves the motion of thin, elastic filaments, such as cilia and flagella, in viscous environments. The manuscript serves as a general introduction to the topic of modelling microscale elastohydrodynamics. We briefly characterise the specific features of biological filaments that affect their propulsion modes, and discuss the theoretical framework for their description, along with selected biological and artificial examples of active systems.