Sarah D. Olson: Sperm Navigation in Complex Environments

Abstract: Microorganisms can swim in a variety of environments, interacting with chemicals and other proteins in the fluid. In this talk, we will highlight recent computational methods and results for swimming efficiency and hydrodynamic interactions of swimmers in different fluid environments. Sperm are modeled via a centerline representation where forces are solved for using elastic rod theory. The method of regularized Stokeslets is used to solve the fluid-structure interaction where emergent swimming speeds can be compared to asymptotic analysis. In the case of fluids with extra proteins or cells that may act as friction, swimming speeds may be enhanced and attraction may not occur.

Bio: Sarah Olson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Olson received her undergraduate degrees in Mathematics and Biology from Providence College, a master’s from the University of Rhode Island in Mathematics, and a PhD in Biomathematics from North Carolina State University. She has worked in the general areas of fluid dynamics, scientific computing, and mathematical biology.