Biophysics Journal Club (BPJC)
Next Meeting: Monday, May 6, 2013 -- 12:00-- Barus and Holley RM 410
-----Daneil Saenz----- D Clarke, H Whitney, G Sutton, and D Robert. "Detection and Learning of Floral Electric Fields by Bumblebees." Science 340 (2013)
Abstract:
There is a set of micro-organisms that are small enough that they swim at low Reynolds number and large enough that gravity exerts an influence on their behavior Many protists, like paramecia, for example, exhibit negative gravi-taxis by orienting their swimming upward and negative gravi-kinesis by increasing their propulsion when swimming against their apparent weight. It is not clear whether these responses to a very weak force (about 100 pN) are active or passive. We have developed a technique, Magnetic Force Buoyancy Variation, which enables us to vary the apparent weight of the swimmers in situ. We will describe experiments on paramecia conducted at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory. In particular, we will describe how increasing the apparent weight induces paramecia to accumulate at upper surfaces. A simple force model suggests that this accumulation is a passive response.
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About BPJC
The biophysics journal club is designed to be a forum where students and faculty present and discuss current research articles relevant to the interests of the group. Our interests are biased towards cell motility, cytoskeletal networks, nanopore physics, protein self assembly and interactions, single molecule biophysics, bacteria motion, and any other soft matter related literature. Typical meetings are informal, discussions are encouraged, and so is good physics.
Everyone is welcome to join our journal club and we strongly encourage graduate student and post-doc participation. To join the e-mail list, please contact Alex Loosley or attend the next meeting.
We usually meet every Monday at 12:00 (food+drinks @ 11:45), in B&H Rm 410. To see what others have presented in the past, and what's coming up, check out the Schedule page.