Tuning microswimmer motility by liposome encapsulation: swimming and cargo transport of Chlamydomonas-encapsulating liposome

Fuente: arXiv
Gespeichert in:
Bibliographische Detailangaben
Hauptverfasser: Akiyama, Koichiro, Hamaguchi, Sota, Shiraiwa, Hiromasa, Shiomi, Shunsuke, Kaneko, Tomoyuki, Hayashi, Masahito, Matsunaga, Daiki
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2026
Schlagworte:
Online-Zugang:
Tags: Tag hinzufügen
Keine Tags, Fügen Sie den ersten Tag hinzu!
_version_ 1866917371317321728
author Akiyama, Koichiro
Hamaguchi, Sota
Shiraiwa, Hiromasa
Shiomi, Shunsuke
Kaneko, Tomoyuki
Hayashi, Masahito
Matsunaga, Daiki
author_facet Akiyama, Koichiro
Hamaguchi, Sota
Shiraiwa, Hiromasa
Shiomi, Shunsuke
Kaneko, Tomoyuki
Hayashi, Masahito
Matsunaga, Daiki
contents Inspired by biology's use of vesicles for targeted transport, many studies have propelled liposomes with active matter, creating synthetic systems that can be viewed as microscale biohybrid robots. Nevertheless, the underlying motility mechanisms from a hydrodynamic perspective are often unresolved, and reliable velocity control remains challenging. Here we present a chlamylipo formed by encapsulating the motile alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii within a giant liposome. We quantify how the characters of swimming change under controlled perturbations and, from a fluid-mechanical perspective, derive a deformation-velocity expression that incorporates liposome radius, beating frequency, and membrane protrusion. We further show that motility can be reversibly switched by incorporating light-responsive lipids, with the liposome acting as a "clutch" that modulates membrane-coupled propulsion. Thus, liposome encapsulation can function not only as a cargo compartment but also as a tunable motility regulator, enabling speed adjustment and reversible transitions between motile and non-motile states.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2603_21553
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Tuning microswimmer motility by liposome encapsulation: swimming and cargo transport of Chlamydomonas-encapsulating liposome
Akiyama, Koichiro
Hamaguchi, Sota
Shiraiwa, Hiromasa
Shiomi, Shunsuke
Kaneko, Tomoyuki
Hayashi, Masahito
Matsunaga, Daiki
Biological Physics
Fluid Dynamics
Inspired by biology's use of vesicles for targeted transport, many studies have propelled liposomes with active matter, creating synthetic systems that can be viewed as microscale biohybrid robots. Nevertheless, the underlying motility mechanisms from a hydrodynamic perspective are often unresolved, and reliable velocity control remains challenging. Here we present a chlamylipo formed by encapsulating the motile alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii within a giant liposome. We quantify how the characters of swimming change under controlled perturbations and, from a fluid-mechanical perspective, derive a deformation-velocity expression that incorporates liposome radius, beating frequency, and membrane protrusion. We further show that motility can be reversibly switched by incorporating light-responsive lipids, with the liposome acting as a "clutch" that modulates membrane-coupled propulsion. Thus, liposome encapsulation can function not only as a cargo compartment but also as a tunable motility regulator, enabling speed adjustment and reversible transitions between motile and non-motile states.
title Tuning microswimmer motility by liposome encapsulation: swimming and cargo transport of Chlamydomonas-encapsulating liposome
topic Biological Physics
Fluid Dynamics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.21553