Deformable bodies in active nematics

Fluid anisotropy can be observed in biofluids like mucus or, at a larger scale, self-aligning swarms of bacteria. A model fluid used to investigate such environments is a nematic liquid crystal. Large deformable bodies tend to be stretched when immersed in these complex environments, offering a passive means of measuring cell material properties. Active stresses in these systems can also generate flows, either due to molecular activity or active bodies suspended within them. We will discuss a complex variables approach to analytically solve for the activity-induced flow of a liquid crystal with immersed bodies. We will demonstrate that the activity-induced stresses on the surface of the bodies compete with the elastic stresses from the passive liquid crystal, putting the shape of deformable bodies in the balance. Anchoring conditions, topological defects, and the geometry and composition of the bodies will all considered.