Guillaume Duclos, assistant professor of physics at Brandeis University, calls it the “swirl.”
It’s made up of two types of cellular proteins kinesin and microtubules interacting to create a vortex under the microscope.
In the last year, researchers have taken significant steps toward understanding the swirl and controlling its flow.
When the swirl is placed in another liquid, it pushes it forward, creating what’s called a “self-propelling” or “self-mixing” liquid. In other words, you don’t need human or mechanical effort to get the liquid to move; it goes on its own.
Two types of cellular proteins interacting to create a vortex. (Credit: Brandeis)