[3PS-107]
Collective Behavior of Bacteria Confined in Anisotropic Fluid
발표자김장민 (포항공과대학교)
연구책임자김영기 (포항공과대학교)
Abstract
Suspension of swimming bacteria, a prototypical example of active matter system, exhibits complex collective behaviors such as bacterial turbulence and swarming. While recent studies have extensively examined the geometric effects of surrounding on bacterial dynamics, the interplay between bacteria and anisotropic fluid remains underexplored. Here, we investigate how the anisotropy of thermotropic liquid crystal (LC) affects the self-organized motion of bacteria under the confinement. By constructing flattened aqueous droplets in the LC matrix, we observed bacteria spontaneously form ordered flow patterns. Furthermore, these flow patterns can be controlled by LC surroundings during phase transition. Our findings underscore the controllability of LC on bacterial motion, paving the way for further exploration of collective behavior in structured fluids. This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (RS-2023-00212739, RS-2023-00302586, RS-2024-00411809).