Sperm Cell Dynamics in Restricted Geometries

C.A. CONDAT; V.I. MARCONI; I. BERDAKIN; A. GUIDOBALDI; M. OVIEDO; L.C. GIOJALAS; Y. JEYARAM; A. V. SILHANEK

Maceio

Conferencia; XVIII MEDYFINOL; 2014

E2-4Sperm cell dynamics in restricted geometriesC. A. Condat 1, V. I. Marconi 1, I. Berdakin 1, A. Guidobaldi 2, M. Oviedo 2, L. Giojalas 2, Y. Jeyaram3, A. V. Silhanek 41 - IFEG-CONICET and FaMAF, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina2 - IIByT, CONICET, UNC, Córdoba, Argentina3 - Institute for Nanoscale Physics and Chemistry, K.U.Leuven, B?3001 Leuven, Belgium4 - Département de Physique, Université de Liège, B-4000 Sart Tilman, BelgiumA good knowledge of the dynamics of sperm cells in restricted geometries is necessary to understandthe behavior of sperm in the female reproductive tract and to optimize in vitro fertilization techniques,which require the selection of highly motile spermatozoa. It is well known that small self-propelled mi-croorganisms exhibit a marked tendency to swim parallel to surfaces. This leads to rectification effects,which have been studied in depth for bacteria. Although the size and propulsion system of a sperm cellare rather different from that of a bacterium, its interaction with walls and obstacles is broadly similar.In this work we study how microarchitectures can be used to guide sperm cells and investigate the effectsof wall curvature experimentally and by the use of simulations. We show that V-shaped features become43Invited Talks (20 min)sperm traps and demonstrate that artificially corrugated boundaries can contribute to homogenize t