Dinoflagellate Bioluminescent Shear Reactor
Today we built the Dinoflagellate Bioluminescent Shear Reactor.
It is an interactive marine biology petri-dish simulation inspired by the mechanical stimulation of dinoflagellate algae cells (Pyrocystis fusiformis).
The Dynamics
- Shear Stress Stimulation: Users stir the fluid chamber by dragging/swiping with their pointer or steering a virtual magnetic stirrer using the keyboard arrow keys. The shear rate (spatial gradient of fluid velocity) is calculated dynamically based on input speed and fluid viscosity.
- Bioluminescent Flash Cascade: When local shear exceeds the dinoflagellates’ trigger threshold, algae cells flash a neon blue-green, slowly decaying back to a dormant state. Excessive shear rates (>3.5 Pa) damage algae health, introducing a delicate operational trade-off.
- Multimodal Audio Synthesis: Synthesized using Web Audio API, the page outputs a muffled low-frequency bubbling hum (modulated by stirrer speed) and high-frequency glass-like chime tones triggered during cellular excitation cascades.
- Calibrated Media Density: Users select between culture media (nutrient water, agar, glycerol) to scale the fluid’s viscosity, shifting the mechanical shear rates generated at identical stirrer speeds.