Research Description
Jeffrey Guasto investigates how microscopic swimming cells — such as bacteria and algae — navigate complex fluid environments, in which dynamic flows, external fields, and chemical cues lead to chaotic cell motion and enhanced mixing. Using Lagrangian coherent structures as a framework, his team studies how these organizing features of fluid motion influence active transport. Through advanced microfluidic devices, high-speed video microscopy, and 3D holographic imaging, they examine how magnetotaxis and chemotaxis help cells overcome transport barriers and how collective behaviors generate flow structures that impact scalar transport. This work aims to uncover fundamental mechanisms of active matter transport and develop strategies for controlling it.
Research Impact
Professor Guasto’s research aims to establish a new Lagrangian framework for understanding active matter transport and uncover the fundamental mechanisms that regulate cell motility in complex fluid environments. By generating high-quality datasets for modelers and biologists, this work has the potential to advance knowledge at the intersection of fluid dynamics, biophysics, ecology, medicine, and materials science. Applications may include modeling biogeochemical cycles and ecosystem dynamics, improving our understanding of the gut microbiome and biofilm formation, and enhancing the performance of bioremediation systems and bioreactors. The findings could also inform engineering innovations in self-assembling materials, targeted drug delivery, and microrobotic navigation.
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related links
Experimental Physics Investigators Initiative 
Science
Tufts University, Department of Mechanical Engineering
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