Eric Lauga has been invited by the Collège de France Assembly, at the suggestion of Professor Jean-François Joanny.
Fluid mechanics plays a crucial role in a number of biological processes, from the largest of animals to the smallest of cells. In this course, we will give an overview of the hydrodynamic phenomena associated with biological life at the cellular scale, by with a focus on the fluid mechanics of individual microorganisms and their appendages. We will combine physical description, scaling analysis, and detailed calculations in order to present a wide overview of the subject. Drawing examples from a variety of organisms, we will aim at providing a precise mathematical description of how cells actuate and exploit surrounding fluids in order to self-propel, how they interact with their mechanical environment, and how populations of cells dynamically influence each other.
The course will be organised along four distinct lectures:
