Ethological dynamics in diorama environments

Fluid is surrounding single-cell organisms and accurate modeling with fluid dynamics is necessary to understand and utilize their environmental adaptive capabilities. Further, their nm-scale cellular substructure can affect the motions at the individual scale and diverse and complex distribution over several kilometers as seen in red tides. In addition, the adaptation ability evolves from generation to generation. Thus, ethological dynamics is essentially a multiscale phenomenon both in space and time. In this project, we aim to construct a mathematical model that describes a multiscale diorama environment with a particular focus on microalgae.

Specifically, we will work on the following topics: pattern formation of cell shape, hydrodynamic transportation of cells, a mechanical model of cellular movement in a complex environment, and the effects on ecology and evolution.
While collaborating within the group, we will also support other groups to work on the mechanical modeling of diorama ethology, and provide feedback for algorithm verification and diorama experiments. In this way, the group plays an infrastructural role for mechanical modeling in the entire project.

Numerical simulation of flows generated by a collection of sperm cells

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