Effects of particle size, flow velocity, and cell surface microtopography on the motion of submicrometer particles over diatoms

In microfluidic systems, interactions between particles and surfaces dictate the mobility of particles and the effectiveness of the devices in sorting them. Here, we report that the rigid, silica, cell surface microtopographies of diatoms increased the deflection of submicrometer particles from the direction of flow and reduced uniaxial bead velocities. The extent to which particle behavior was affected depended on the particle size, the far-field flow velocity and the morphology of frustule microstructures.