Chemotaxis-induced phase separation

TL;DR

This paper presents a theoretical framework linking chemotactic cell aggregation to phase separation and reaction-diffusion patterns, revealing mechanisms of aggregate formation, coarsening, and stabilization influenced by cell growth and death.

Contribution

It introduces a generalized Maxwell construction to describe chemotactic aggregation, connecting classical models to phase separation phenomena with new insights into aggregate dynamics.

Findings

Chemotactic aggregation can be modeled as a phase separation process.

Cell growth and death can reverse aggregate coarsening.

Stable and dynamic aggregates emerge from the theory.

Abstract

Chemotaxis allows single cells to self-organize at the population level, as classically described by Keller-Segel models. We show that chemotactic aggregation can be understood using a generalized Maxwell construction based on the balance of density fluxes and reactive turnover. This formulation implies that aggregates generically undergo coarsening, which is interrupted and reversed by cell growth and death. Together, both stable and spatiotemporally dynamic aggregates emerge. Our theory mechanistically links chemotactic self-organization to phase separation and reaction-diffusion patterns.