Transport powered by bacterial turbulence.
We demonstrate that collective turbulentlike motion in a bacterial bath can power and steer the directed transport of mesoscopic carriers through the suspension. In our experiments and simulations, a microwedgelike "bulldozer" draws energy from a bacterial bath of varied density. We obtain that an optimal transport speed is achieved in the turbulent state of the bacterial suspension. This apparent rectification of random motion of bacteria is caused by polar ordered bacteria inside the cusp region of the carrier, which is shielded from the outside turbulent fluctuations.
Institut für Theoretische Physik II: Weiche Materie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
Andreas
A
Kaiser
Laboratoire de Physique et Mécanique des Milieux Hétérogénes, Ecole Supérieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles de la Ville de Paris, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France and Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA.
Anton
A
Peshkov
Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA.
Andrey
A
Sokolov
Institut für Theoretische Physik II: Weiche Materie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
Borge
B
ten Hagen
Institut für Theoretische Physik II: Weiche Materie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
Hartmut
H
Löwen
Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA.
Igor S
IS
Aranson
D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000502:physiology*; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques / Q000379:methods; D003198:Computer Simulation; D008954:Models, Biological; D009068:Movement; D013535:Suspensions; D013550:Swimming
D013535:Suspensions