An in vitro living system for flow rectification

Abstract

Small - but finite - fluid inertia can be leveraged to generate steady flows out of liquid vibrations around an immersed interface. In engineering, external high-frequency drivers (10$^2$-10$^5$ Hz) allow this inertial rectification phenomenon, known as viscous streaming, to be employed in micron-scale devices for precise flow control, particle manipulation and spatially controlled chemistry. However, beyond artificial settings, streaming may also be accessed by larger-scale biological systems pertaining to lower frequencies. Then, millimeter-size bacteria or larvae that oscillate cilia and appendages in the 1-10Hz range may be able to endogenously rectify surrounding flows, for feeding or locomotion, removing the need for external actuators, tethers or tubings. In support of this hypothesis, here we demonstrate an in vitro living system able to produce streaming flows, endogenously, autonomously and unassisted. Computationally informed, our biological device generates oscillatory flows through the cyclic contractions of an engineered muscle tissue, shaped in the form of a ring and suspended in fluid within a Micro-Particle Image Velocimetry setup, for analysis. Flow patterns consistent with streaming simulations are observed for low-frequency muscle contractions (2-4Hz), either spontaneous or light-induced, illustrating system autonomy and controllability, respectively. Thus, this work provides experimental evidence of biologically powered streaming in untethered millimeter-scale living systems, showcasing the utility of bio-hybrid technology for fundamental and applied fluid mechanics.