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But due in part to the limitations of conventional microscopy methods and population-level studies, it has remained unclear how factors like fluid flow and viscosity interact to influence sperm flagellar beating behavior at the single-cell level.

This device leveraged microfluidics to examine sperm flagellar waveform and energetics in response to changes in flow and viscosity.

Using high-speed, high-resolution microscopy, the researchers quantified flagellar dynamics at 200 frames per second.

The findings showed that sperm flagellar waveforms are primarily influenced by viscosity rather than the shear rate, and their synergistic effect promotes energy-efficient beating behavior.

But in high-viscosity media, an increase in shear rate from 0 to 6 per second at 75 millipascal seconds reduced the flagellar curvature by 20%, and the flagellar beating frequency was highest at a shear rate of 3 per second, which is favorable for sperm rheotaxis.