Harry Tuazon

BioE Ph.D. Proposal Presentation

Time and Date: 09:00 a.m. on Tuesday, March 21, 2023

Location: L1120 Ford ES&T

Zoom Link: https://gatech.zoom.us/j/8326535648?from=addon

Advisors: Saad Bhamla, Ph.D. (ChBE, Georgia Institute of Technology)

                  Daniel Goldman, Ph.D. (Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology)

Committee:

David Hu, Ph.D. (ME, Georgia Institute of Technology)

Jorn Dunkel, Ph.D. (Math, Massachusetts Institute of Technology)  

Emily Weigel, Ph.D.  (Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology)

Physically-Entangled Collective Behavior and Emergent Dynamics Of Worm Blobs

California blackworms (Lumbriculus variegatus) are benthic freshwater annelids that have the unique ability to form dense and physically-entangled structures known as "worm blobs." These structures are formed through a balanced combination of chemoattraction, conspecific thigmotaxis, wherein the worms wrap their bodies together to form a cohesive unit, and oxygenation. Despite being seemingly chaotic, worm blobs exhibit complex and coordinated behaviors, suggesting that the worms are communicating and cooperating in some manner. In this proposed study, I aim to explore the intricate physical entanglement of blackworms and their emergent collective behavior. Through a highly interdisciplinary and collaborative approach that combines behavioral biology, active and living soft matter physics, and soft robotics, I seek to investigate the reasons why blackworms form blobs, the factors that influence their behavior, and how they move together. Additionally, through a mathematical and compatible, I examine various properties that can affect the internal dynamics of the worm blob, including its topology and material and structural properties. Beyond the locomotion and internal dynamics of the worm blob, I explore several complex collective behaviors exhibited by blackworms that I observed. One such behavior is the "worm buoy," in which the blackworms collectively form an entangled structure that can float on the air-water surface using an “interfacial latch” mechanism. Another behavior is "clumping," in which the worms collect various materials along their bodies and aggregate discrete particles into a large clump. Finally, I investigate the rolling locomotion of a spherical worm blob. These complex behaviors will provide valuable insights into the intricacies of physical entanglement and highlight the potential applications of understanding these collective behaviors for the development of new materials and technologies. Overall, this interdisciplinary study will shed light on the physically-entangled collective behavior of blackworms and can inform the development of new materials and entangled soft robotics that mimic these behaviors.