PIMS/CSC Distinguished Speaker Series: Lisa Fauci, Tulane University

Phytoplankton moving in the ocean, sperm moving through the reproductive tract, as well as swimming fish rely on an intricate balance of forces. Each such system involves the interaction of passive and actuated elastic structures with a surrounding fluid - a common theme in biological fluid dynamics. Computational models can give insight into the fundamental features of these coupled systems. We will present recent modeling results that shed light on the active swimming of a simple vertebrate as well as the passive motion of diatoms in shear flows. We will also explore the functional role of a hyperactivation in a mammalian sperm.