Permeation Dynamics of Active Swimmers Through Anisotropic Porous Walls

Abstract

Abstract Natural habitats of most living microorganisms are distinguished by a complex structure often formed by a porous medium such as soil. The dynamics and transport properties of motile microorganisms are strongly affected by crowded and locally anisotropic environments. Using Chlamydomonas reinhardtii as a model system, we explore the permeation of active colloids through a structured wall of obstacles by tracking microswimmers' trajectories and analyzing their statistical properties. Employing micro‐labyrinths formed by cylindrical or elongated pillars, we demonstrate that the anisotropy of the pillar's form and orientation strongly affects the microswimmers' dynamics on different time scales. Furthermore, we discuss the kinetics of the microswimmer exchange between two compartments separated by an array of pillars.

Keywords

• active matter
• confinement
• crowded environments
• microbial motility
• microswimmers