Contractility-induced phase separation in active solids

TL;DR

This paper develops a theoretical framework combining cellular contractility and phase separation to explain pattern formation in active biological tissues, supported by numerical simulations showing diverse patterning behaviors.

Contribution

It introduces a generalized model integrating activity into classical phase separation theory, revealing mechanisms for pattern formation in active, viscoelastic solids.

Findings

Homogeneous mixtures can become unstable due to activity, leading to phase separation or traveling waves.

The model predicts bifurcations (pitchfork and Hopf) that destabilize uniform states.

Simulations demonstrate self-organized patterns in various geometries and constraints.

Abstract

A combination of cellular contractility and active phase separation in cell-matrix composites is thought to be an enabler of spatiotemporal patterning in multicellular tissues across scales, from somitogenesis to cartilage condensation. To characterize these phenomena, we provide a general theory that incorporates active cellular contractility into the classical Cahn--Hilliard-Larch{\'e} model for phase separation in passive viscoelastic solids. We investigate the dynamics of phase separation in this model and show how a homogeneous mixture can be destabilized by activity via either a pitchfork or Hopf bifurcation, resulting in stable phase separation and/or traveling waves. Numerical simulations of the full equations allow us to track the evolution of the resulting self-organized patterns, in both periodic and mechanically constrained domains, and in different geometries. Altogether, our study underscores the importance of integrating both cellular activity and mechanical phase separation in understanding patterning in soft, active biosolids, and might explain previous experimental observations of cartilage condensation in both in-vivo and in-vitro settings.