Enhanced transport in unsteady Stokes flows generated by beating cilia*

Eukaryotic microorganisms use cilia for swimming, to transport nutrients, and to detect flows. While most of the generated flows occur at low Reynolds numbers, individual beating cilia are known to produce unsteady flows. We study how transport properties by individual and populations of beating cilia are modified when accounting for these transient unsteady effects, including near boundaries, using a combination of experiments, theory, and simulations.