Rosemary Dyson

Fibre-reinforced fluids: from plants to formulation engineering

Many biological systems depend on an underlying mechanical anisotropy to give the system direction-dependent functional properties. This anisotropy is often created via fibres embedded within a ground matrix; both fibre and matrix properties can then evolve under either passive or active control to produce the required behaviour. Examples include cellulose microfibres within plant cell walls, which enable directional pressure driven expansion, or collagen fibres within mammalian extracellular matrix which guide cell behaviour. Similar ideas can also be exploited within industrial contexts to produce beneficial, evolving, system level properties. Common mathematical frameworks are used to study these diverse problems, some of which we will discuss here.