Tiny nematodes, commonly known as vinegar eelworms, can move objects with a force hundreds of times their own weight. Researchers are studying the physical rules that allow this collective motion, which could assist in developing applications in robotics and targeted medicine delivery.
Cal State Fullerton student Ashley Robinson, a double major in physics and philosophy, is studying how the squiggly, millimeter-sized worms sync their direction of motion and oscillate their bodies in unison — behaviors rare in nature. Anton Peshkov, assistant professor of physics and Robinson’s research adviser, said the research aims to learn more about the eelworm’s synchronized motion and better understand how active matter works. The project is funded by a nearly $375,000 grant from the National Science Foundation.
Robinson’s research focuses on making 3-D printed objects and using sophisticated imaging and software systems to create a controlled environment to model the nematodes’ wave-like collective movements.
“Through our research, we hope to get closer to understanding how we can control such states and how it can be applied to advancing the biomedical and biophysics fields,” she said.
Robinson has received over $13,000 in scholarships from the Dan Black Family Fellowship and the California State University STEM-NET Summer Student Research program to support her research. Robinson plans to pursue a doctorate in biophysics and aspires to a career as a physics professor and researcher.