The hidden order of Turing patterns in arid and semi‐arid vegetation ecosystems

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 120(42)

Опубликована: Окт. 10, 2023

Vegetation Turing patterns play a critical role in the ecological functioning of arid and semi-arid ecosystems. However, long-range spatial features these have been neglected compared to short-range like patch shape wavelength. Drawing inspiration from hyperuniform structures material science, we find that vegetation pattern exhibits dispersion similar hyperuniformity. As degree hyperuniformity increases, so does water-use efficiency vegetation. This finding supports previous studies suggest represent spatially optimized self-organization ecosystems for water acquisition. The Turing-type significant slowing down near tipping point, indicating non-negligible transient dynamical behavior. Reduced rainfall not only decreases resilience steady state ecosystem but also slows rate optimization long regimes. We propose indicates after strong, short-term disturbances. Spatially heterogeneous disturbances reduce lead longer recovery times than homogeneous maintain

Язык: Английский

---

Mechanisms driving spatial distribution of residents in colony biofilms: an interdisciplinary perspective

Open Biology, Год журнала: 2022, Номер 12(12)

Опубликована: Дек. 1, 2022

Biofilms are consortia of microorganisms that form collectives through the excretion extracellular matrix compounds. The importance biofilms in biological, industrial and medical settings has long been recognized due to their emergent properties impact on surrounding environments. In laboratory situations, one commonly used approach study biofilm formation mechanisms is colony assay, which cell communities grow solid–gas interfaces agar plates after deposition a population founder cells. residents can self-organize intricate spatial distributions. assay ideally suited coupling with mathematical modelling ability extract wide range metrics. this review, we highlight how interdisciplinary approaches have provided deep insights into causing emergence these distributions from well-mixed inocula.

Язык: Английский

---

Interfacial Morphodynamics of Proliferating Microbial Communities

Physical Review X, Год журнала: 2025, Номер 15(1)

Опубликована: Янв. 29, 2025

In microbial communities, various cell types often coexist by occupying distinct spatial domains. What determines the shape of interface between such domains—which, in turn, influences interactions cells and overall community function? Here, we address this question developing a continuum model 2D spatially structured with two types. We find that, depending on balance different proliferation rates substrate friction coefficients, domains is either stable smooth or unstable develops fingerlike protrusions. establish quantitative principles describing when these interfacial behaviors arise good agreement both results previous experimental reports as well new experiments performed here. Our work, thus, helps to provide biophysical basis for understanding morphodynamics proliferating communities broader range active systems. Published American Physical Society 2025

Язык: Английский

---

Disentangling the feedback loops driving spatial patterning in microbial communities

npj Biofilms and Microbiomes, Год журнала: 2025, Номер 11(1)

Опубликована: Фев. 20, 2025

Язык: Английский

---

Integrating theory and experiments to link local mechanisms and ecosystem-level consequences of vegetation patterns in drylands

Chaos Solitons & Fractals, Год журнала: 2022, Номер 166, С. 112881 - 112881

Опубликована: Ноя. 22, 2022

Язык: Английский

---

Self-organized sulfide-driven traveling pulses shape seagrass meadows

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 120(3)

Опубликована: Янв. 9, 2023

Seagrasses provide multiple ecosystem services and act as intense carbon sinks in coastal regions around the globe but are threatened by anthropogenic pressures, leading to enhanced seagrass mortality that reflects spatial self-organization of meadows. Spontaneous vegetation patterns appear such different ecosystems drylands, peatlands, salt marshes, or meadows, mechanisms behind this phenomenon still an open question many cases. Here, we report on formation traveling pulses creating complex spatiotemporal rings Mediterranean We show these structures emerge due excitable behavior resulting from coupled dynamics porewater hydrogen sulfide, toxic seagrass, sediment. The resemble those formed other physical, chemical, biological media, a much larger scale. Based theory, derive model reproduces observed seascapes predicts annihilation circular they collide, distinctive feature pulses. also field images empirically resolved radial profiles density sediment sulfide concentration across consistent with predictions theoretical model, which shows have diagnostic value, acting harbinger terminal state meadows prior their collapse.

Язык: Английский

---

Optimal network sizes for most robust Turing patterns

Scientific Reports, Год журнала: 2025, Номер 15(1)

Опубликована: Янв. 23, 2025

Many cellular patterns exhibit a reaction-diffusion component, suggesting that Turing instability may contribute to pattern formation. However, biological gene-regulatory pathways are more complex than simple activator-inhibitor models and generally do not require fine-tuning of parameters as dictated by the conditions. To address these issues, we employ random matrix theory analyze Jacobian matrices larger networks with robust statistical properties. Our analysis reveals likely occur chance previously thought most have an optimal size, consisting only handful molecular species, thus significantly increasing their identifiability in systems. Broadly speaking, this size emerges from trade-off between highest stability small greatest diffusion large networks. Furthermore, find multiple immobile nodes, differential ceases be important for patterns. findings inform future synthetic biology approaches provide insights into bridging gap developmental pathways.

Язык: Английский

---

Dynamics of an algae–bacteria microcosm: Photosynthesis, chemotaxis, and expulsion in inhomogeneous active matter

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Год журнала: 2025, Номер 122(12)

Опубликована: Март 17, 2025

In nature, there are significant relationships known between microorganisms from two kingdoms of life, as in the supply vitamin B 12 by bacteria to algae. Such interactions motivate general investigations into spatiotemporal dynamics metabolite exchanges. Here we study experiment and theory a model system: coculture bacterium Bacillus subtilis , an obligate aerobe that is chemotactic oxygen, nonmotile mutant alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii which photosynthetically produces oxygen when illuminated. Strikingly, shaft light illuminates thin, initially uniform suspension two, influx active region leads expulsion algae area. We propose this effect arises advection inhomogeneous bacterial concentration. The resulting generalization Fick’s law has been proposed context chemotaxis mathematically related “turbulent pumping” magnetohydrodynamics.

Язык: Английский

---

How Physical Information Underlies Causation and the Emergence of Systems at all Biological Levels

Acta Biotheoretica, Год журнала: 2025, Номер 73(2)

Опубликована: Март 25, 2025

To bring clarity, the term 'information' is resolved into three distinct meanings: physical pattern, statistical relations and knowledge about things. In parallel, kinds of 'causation' are resolved: action force constrained by pattern (efficient cause), cybernetic (formal cause) inference. Cybernetic causation an expression fundamental (necessary) logical relations, inference phenomenological, but information proposed as what actually happens in world. Examples latter given to illustrate underlying material dynamics a range biological systems from appearance 'synergistic information' among multiple variables (mainly neuroscience); positional multicellular development; organisational structure ecological communities, especially incorporating niche construction theory. A rigorous treatment multi-level provided well explanation causal power non-physical structure, interaction networks. The focus on particular echoing insights Howard Pattee, provides more physically grounded view emergence, downward concept 'closure efficient causation', all now prevalent approach biology.

Язык: Английский

---

Spatial moment dynamics and biomass density equations provide complementary, yet limited, descriptions of pattern formation in individual-based simulations

Physica D Nonlinear Phenomena, Год журнала: 2025, Номер unknown, С. 134703 - 134703

Опубликована: Апрель 1, 2025

Язык: Английский

---