Physarum polycephalum: Smart network adaptation

TL;DR

This paper explores how Physarum polycephalum, a single-celled organism, exhibits complex adaptive network behaviors through active chemo-mechanics, enabling it to solve problems and respond dynamically to its environment.

Contribution

It provides a physicist's perspective on the biology, active chemo-mechanics, and information processing capabilities of Physarum's adaptive network system.

Findings

Physarum adapts its network by growth and shrinkage of tubes.

It exhibits complex behaviors without neural structures.

Recent studies show Physarum can store and process information.

Abstract

Life evolved organisms to adapt dynamically to their environment and autonomously exhibit behaviours. While complex behaviours in organisms are typically associated with the capability of neurons to process information, the unicellular organism Physarum polycephalum disabuses us by solving complex tasks despite being just a single although gigantic cell shaped into a mesmerizing tubular network. In Physarum, smart behaviours arise as network tubes grow or shrink due to the mechanochemical coupling of contractile tubes, fluid flows and transport across the network. Here, from a physicist's perspective, we introduce the biology and active chemo-mechanics of this living matter network. We then review Physarum's global response in migration and dynamic state to its environment before revisiting its network architecture and flow and transport patterns. Finally, we summarize recent studies on storing and processing information to mount well-informed behaviours.