This is theoretical and experimental research on electro-osmosis in membranes in the outer hair cell lateral wall in the mammalian inner ear. The investigators claim that the outer hair cell can be regarded as a naturally occurring microelectromechanical (MEM) system, in which voltages induce fluid transport through the 33 nm wide extracisternal space. A set of differential equations has been developed to model the coupling between electrostatic potentials and fluid flow in the system. They will use this model to predict the effects of applied voltages on fluid transport under a variety of conditions. These predictions will be tested experimentally through optical measurements of the displacement of fluorescent molecules within the extracisternal space. The goal is to derive general principles about the interaction between voltages and fluid flow in nanostructures, which can be exploited in artificial MEM systems. ***
