Deformation of slender bodies in active nematics

Long, thin structures are ubiquitous in biology, appearing as biofilaments in the cytoskeleton, flagella and cilia that enable microorganisms to swim, and E. Coli colonies that form flexible chains. Many of the fluids that host these slender bodies are complex, exhibiting features such as nematic order and activity. When such bodies are immersed in these fluids, they frustrate the surrounding medium, giving rise to activity-driven flows and rich fluid–structure interactions. In this presentation, I will show how active nematics can be used to model these interactions, demonstrating how competing elastic and active forces drive instabilities and the emergence of complex morphologies. By coupling slender-body theory with nematic ordering, I will develop analytical descriptions that reveal how body mechanics, anchoring conditions, and activity govern the resulting dynamics.