Rheologically tuned modes of collective transport in active viscoelastic films

TL;DR

This study introduces a unified framework to explore how active viscoelastic films exhibit diverse dynamic states, revealing that tunable rheology can enable controlled microscale active transport.

Contribution

It presents a comprehensive state diagram for active viscoelastic films, highlighting the role of rheology in controlling active transport modes.

Findings

Rich spatiotemporal dynamic states identified

Rheology tuning enables controlled active transport

Unified framework for active viscoelastic media

Abstract

While many living biological media combine both viscous and elastic properties, most theoretical studies employ either purely fluid- or solid-like descriptions. We here use a unified framework for active films on substrates capable of describing a broad range of viscoelastic behavior to explore the interplay between activity and rheology. The core of the study is a comprehensive state diagram showing a rich world of spatiotemporal dynamic states. Our results demonstrate the potential of tunable rheology to realize modes of controlled active transport on the microscale.