THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED. Abstract: The motion of undulating, flexible “tails" in a fluid environment is a common element in many biological systems, from sperm movement in reproduction to fish swimming in the ocean. This talk will focus on two collaborative projects where computational fluid dynamics has shed some light on fundamental mechanisms. At the microscale, we will consider the journey of extremely long and flexible insect flagella through narrow and tortuous female reproductive tracts. At the macroscale, we will probe the neuromechanics and fluid dynamics of the lamprey, the most primitive vertebrate and, hence, a model organism in neuroscience. Using a closed-loop model that couples neural signaling, muscle mechanics, fluid dynamics, and sensory feedback, we examine the hypothesis that amplified proprioceptive feedback could restore effective locomotion in lampreys with spinal injuries.

Contact: Danny Forger