Active matter driven fluid flows

In such active structures individual proteins consume chemical energy to generate force and motion at molecular length scales. Self-organization of protein components enables the control and modulation of fluid flow fields on micron scales.

The physical principles underlying the organization and control of active-matter-driven fluid flows are poorly understood. Here, we apply an optically-controlled active-matter system composed of microtubule filaments and light-switchable kinesin motor proteins to analyze the emergence of persistent flow fields in a model active matter system. Using light, we form contractile microtubule networks of varying size and shape and explain the resulting flow fields within a simple and unified theoretical framework.