Optimal Ciliary Transport by Unsteady Flows

Cilia are vital for many life forms, from the swimming of microorganisms to the flows that facilitate healthy human brain and lung function. Previous studies largely assume steady state conditions, despite the presence of transient unsteady effects caused by beating cilia. Using theory, numerical simulations, and experiments with a tunable transient Reynolds number, we study how fluid inertia can be leveraged to generate optimal unsteady flows for ciliary transport.