Network emergence and reorganization in confined slime moulds

TL;DR

This study investigates how the transport network of Physarum polycephalum reorganizes in response to confinement within ring-shaped chambers, revealing a typical reorganization timescale and local dynamics driving network alignment.

Contribution

It demonstrates how confinement induces a reorganization of slime mould networks with a specific timescale, using a novel image analysis method to quantify network emergence and directionality.

Findings

Confinement causes veins to align orthoradially along the ring.

Network reorganization occurs over approximately 10,000 seconds.

Reorganization relies on local dynamic processes.

Abstract

A fundamental question regarding biological transport networks is the interplay between the network development or reorganization and the flows it carries. We use Physarum polycephalum, a true slime mould with a transport network which adapts quickly to change of external conditions, as a biological model to make progress in this question. We explore the network emergence and reorganization in specimens suddenly confined in chambers with ring geometry. Using an image analysis method based on the structure tensor, we quantify the emergence and directionality of the network. We show that confinement induces a reorganization of the network with a typical $10^{4}$s timescale, during which veins align orthoradially along the ring. We show that this network evolution relies on local dynamics.