Mathematical Biology Seminar Aaron Barrett, University of Utah, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024 2:00pm in LCB 323 Viscoelastic Fluids in the Immersed Boundary Method: From Mucus to Blood Clots Abstract: Many biological systems involve complex fluids that exhibit non-Newtonian behavior. Mucousal membranes line many organs, including the intestine, stomach, lungs, and reproductive tract, exuding films of mucus that line these organs. Blood clots have substantial elastic components from fibrin and platelet aggregation. These complex fluids perform many functions, from protecting from infection to maintaining homeostasis. Fluid-structure interaction plays an important role in biological fluid dynamics, as cilia transport mucus in the lung, the heart pumps blood throughout the body, and microorganisms navigate their environment. In this talk, I will introduce the immersed boundary (IB) method and how we can use this method to model fluid-structure interaction in viscoelastic fluids. I will demonstrate the difficulties that arise when simulating continuum viscoelastic fluid models. Finally, I will show a couple of applications of the IB method to microorganism motility and clot formation in the heart.