Biomimetic Computational Techniques for the Simulation of Fungi Networks
Restricted (Penn State Only)
Author:
Sgarrella, Joseph
Graduate Program:
Engineering Science and Mechanics (MS)
Degree:
Master of Science
Document Type:
Master Thesis
Date of Defense:
March 18, 2022
Committee Members:
Albert Segall, Program Head/Chair Christian Peco, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor Corina Stefania Drapaca, Committee Member Michael Hillman, Committee Member
Fungi form structured networks that interact with their environment. The growth of these net- works is influenced by environmental and geometrical constraints. The study of fungal growth patterns is of interest to the medical and biotechnology fields. Simulating the growth of the Ophiocordyceps fungus, which constitutes a perfect model for constrained interactive networks, could provide a better understanding on infectious network formation. A phase-field model has been used to capture its behavior. The model focuses on the interaction between the fungal mass and the nutrient source. In this research, we focus on generating volume meshes to represent geometrical constraints. A combination of meshes is necessary to accurately represent multiple bodies within an environment. We present results that demonstrate the effectiveness of the multi-volume meshes representing geometrical constraints when incorporated into the existing three-dimensional model.
