Numerical Modeling of Fluidic Pumping in Micronetworks of Plants

Plant transport mechanisms are of interest in developing micropump for engineering devices. We present a two-dimensional phloem loading and transport model incorporating protein level mechanics with cellular level fluid mechanics. Governing Navier-Stokes, continuity, and Nernst-Planck equations are numerically solved to determine fluid flow and sugar transport. Phloem loading mechanics for active loading is incorporated through a six-state proton sucrose pump kinetic model. The influence of binding rates constants, concentrations, and membrane electrical potential differences on resulting sucrose transport is studied. Numerical results show that increasing rates of the sucrose transporter will noticeably increase outflow. Simulation result also show that a lower leaf sieve sucrose concentration improves outflow. In addition, a more negative membrane electrical potential difference will increase outflow. This numerical model offers insight on parameters that may be significant for implementing plant transport mechanisms in microfluidic devices.