title: Effective viscosity of microswimmer suspensions.
abstract: The measurement of a quantitative and macroscopic parameter to estimate the global motility of a large population of swimming biological cells is a challenge. Experiments on the rheology of active suspensions have been performed. Effective viscosity of sheared suspensions of live unicellular motile microalgae (Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii) is far greater than for suspensions containing the same volume fraction of dead cells. In addition, suspensions show shear thinning behavior. We relate these macroscopic measurements to the orientation of individual swimming cells under flow and discuss our results in the light of several existing models.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Spectrométrie Physique, Grenoble, UJF-CNRS UMR5588, France.
authors.forename: Salima
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rafaï
authors.forename: Levan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jibuti
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Peyla
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D016825:Chlamydomonas reinhardtii / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D009038:Motion; D009068:Movement; D012212:Rheology; D013535:Suspensions; D013997:Time Factors; D014783:Viscosity
chemical_list: D013535:Suspensions