Physics of Cyanobacterial Bloom and How to Avoid It
Algal or Cyanobacterial Blooms refer to a rapid increase of the population of algae in fresh water or ocean. In many cases the algae are toxic, hence disturbing the drinking water reservoire. Cyanobacterial blooms are increasingly treat to water systems in the Netherlands and worldwide. In collaboration with a team of ecologists at UvA, we are currently working on new technologies to mitigate cyanobacterial blooms.
Your Research
Fluid Physics and Biophysics of Harmful Cyanobacterial Blooms. For the experimentalist, the research includes fieldwork (sample collection and analysis at lake Nieuw Meer) and working with the cultures of cyanobacteria. Working in a team, you will make a new experimental setup in the lab to analyze the response of micro-organisms subjected to flow and their mechanical properties on the colony-level. Furthermore you will study their local structure using image processing. If interested in the theory of the project, the research will then focus on the numerical solution of a system of PDEs (Navier Stokes coupled with Advection-Diffusion-Reaction equations). The project sits at the boundary of physics and ecology, but no previous knowledge of ecology is required.
Supervisors: Dr. Mazi Jalaal (IoP), Dr. Petra Viser (IBED), Dr. Jef Huisman (IBED)
Research Question:
How does the fluid flow influence the life of micro-organisms?
How to mitigate cyanobacterial blooms with fluid flow?
Methods involved
Experiments: Microscopy, Optics, Image Processing, (if interested) Machine Learning, Sensors and Actuators
Theory: System of non-linear PDEs their numerical simulations (code is available), (if interested) Analytical/Asymptotic soltion of differential equations
Literature
Huisman et al. Nature Reviews 2018, 471.
Tzella & Haynes, Phys. Fluids, 2009 21: 087101