  Microbial flagellates typically inhabit complex suspensions of polymeric
material which can impact the swimming speed of motile microbes, filter-feeding
of sessile cells, and the generation of biofilms. There is currently a need to
better understand how the fundamental dynamics of polymers near active cells or
flagella impacts these various phenomena, in particular the hydrodynamic and
steric influence of a rotating helical filament on suspended polymers. Our
Stokesian dynamics simulations show that as a stationary rotating helix pumps
fluid along its long axis, polymers migrate radially inwards while being
elongated. We observe that the actuation of the helix tends to increase the
probability of finding polymeric material within its pervaded volume. This
accumulation of polymers within the vicinity of the helix is stronger for
longer polymers. We further analyse the stochastic work performed by the helix
on the polymers and show that this quantity is positive on average and
increases with polymer contour length.
