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Double-diffusive instabilities are often invoked to explain enhanced transport in stably-stratified fluids. The most-studied natural manifestation of this process, fingering convection, commonly occurs in the ocean's thermocline and…
We report a novel form of convection in suspensions of the bioluminiscent marine bacterium $Photobacterium~phosphoreum$. Suspensions of these bacteria placed in a chamber open to the air create persistent luminiscent plumes most easily…
Approximately half of the existing winged-insect species are of very small size (wing length about 0.3-4 mm); they are referred to as miniature insects. Yet until recently, much of what we know about the mechanics of insect flight was…
Miscible tracer dispersion measurements in transparent model fractures with different types of wall roughness are reported. The nature (Fickian or not) of dispersion is determined by studying variations of the mixing front as a function of…
We study a model of seed dispersal that considers the inclusion of an animal disperser moving diffusively, feeding on fruits and transporting the seeds, which are later deposited and capable of germination. The dynamics depends on several…
The separation of micron-sized bacterial spores (Bacillus cereus) from a steady flow of water through the use of ultrasonic standing waves is demonstrated. An ultrasonic resonator with cross-section of 0.0254 m x 0.0254 m has been designed…
Viruses like influenza have long coevolved with host immune systems, gradually shaping the evolutionary trajectory of these pathogens. Host immune systems develop immunity against circulating strains, which in turn avoid extinction by…
Morphogens are secreted signaling molecules that mediate tissue patterning and growth of embryonic tissues. They are secreted in a localized region and spread through the tissue to form a graded concentration profile. We present a…
We show that enhanced turbulent mixing can be used to mitigate airborne COVID-19 transmission by dispersing virus-laden clouds in enclosed, poorly ventilated spaces. A simple system of fan-driven turbulent jets is designed so as to minimize…
It is well known that jammed soft materials will flow if sheared above their yield stress - think mayonnaise spread on bread - but a complete microscopic description of this seemingly sim- ple process has yet to emerge. What remains elusive…
Adhesive cell-substrate interactions are crucial for cell motility and are responsible for the necessary traction that propels cells. These interactions can also change the shape of the cell, analogous to liquid droplet wetting on adhesive…
Despite the importance that fluid flow plays in transporting and organizing populations, few laboratory systems exist to systematically investigate the impact of advection on their spatial evolutionary dynamics. To address this problem, we…
The spreading of evolutionary novelties across populations is the central element of adaptation. Unless population are well-mixed (like bacteria in a shaken test tube), the spreading dynamics not only depends on fitness differences but also…
Budding allows virus replication and macromolecular secretion in cells. It involves the formation of a bud, i.e. an outgrowth from the cell membrane that evolves into an envelope. The largest energetic barrier to bud formation is membrane…
Some female moths attract male moths by emitting series of pulses of pheromone filaments propagating downwind. The turbulent nature of the wind creates a complex flow environment, and causes the filaments to propagate in the form of patches…
The dispersion of viral droplets plays a key role in the transmission of COVID-19. In this work, we analyze the dispersion of cough-generated droplets in the wake of a walking person for different space sizes. The air flow is simulated by…
In systems as diverse as migrating mammals to road traffic, crowding acts to inhibit efficient collective movement. Bacteria, however, are observed to move in very dense groups containing billions of individuals without causing the gridlock…
Swimming microbes, such as bacteria and algae, live in diverse habitats including soil, ocean and human body which are characterized by structural boundaries and heterogeneous fluid flows. Although much progress has been made in…
In this work we investigate viral load propagation due to liquid droplets expelled during respiratory actions. We describe a mechanism of the transmission of such evaporating system and analyze dependence on several ambient parameters for…
Viscous fingering and wormhole growth are complex nonlinear unstable phenomena. We view both as the result of competition for water in which the capacity of an instability to grow depends on its ability to carry water. We derive empirical…