Planktonic Active Matter

TL;DR

This paper explores the complex, multi-scale dynamics of planktonic active matter, emphasizing how environmental factors influence microbial behavior, interactions, and ecosystem functions across different biological scales.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive review of traditional and modern methods to study the mechanistic dynamics of planktonic active matter across multiple scales.

Findings

Planktonic microbes adapt rapidly to environmental changes.

Active modulation influences microbial interactions and structures.

Environmental factors significantly impact ecosystem functions.

Abstract

Planktonic active matter represents an emergent system spanning different scales: individual, population and community; and complexity arising from sub-cellular and cellular to collective and ecosystem scale dynamics. This cross-scale active matter system responds to a range of abiotic (temperature, fluid flow and light conditions) and biotic factors (nutrients, pH, secondary metabolites) characteristic to the relevant ecosystems they are part of. Active modulation of cell phenotypes, including morphology, motility, and intracellular organization enable planktonic microbes to dynamically interact with other individuals and species; and adapt - often rapidly - to the changes in their environment. In this chapter, I discuss both traditional and contemporary approaches to study the dynamics of this multi-scale active matter system from a mechanistic standpoint, with specific references to their local settings and their ability to actively tune the behaviour and physiology, and the emergent structures and functions they elicit under natural ecological constraints as well as due to the shifting climatic trends.