Séminaire

Vendredi 8 Novembre 2024 à 11h00.

Pattern formation in a 3D bio-inspired reaction-diffusion system

''
In nature, biochemical signaling plays a crucial role in complex processes such as cell division, morphogenesis, skin patterning, etc. Pattern formation commonly relies on reaction-diffusion processes. Intensive work has been done to understand Turing-like pattern assembly on flat or curved surfaces. However, three-dimensional reaction-diffusion systems remain relatively understudied, especially experimentally. In this project, we investigate nonequilibrium pattern formation arising from the interplay between a reaction-diffusion mechanism and a suspension of nano-substrates. Building a novel experimental system based on the bacterial extracted MinDE proteins that interact with a suspension of small liposomes, we reveal the emergence of three-dimensional spatio-temporal protein gradients. We further characterize the conditions under which each type of pattern can be found. In particular, our findings demonstrate that not only the activator-to-inhibitor concentration ratio matters, but also that the composition of the nanoscale suspension is critical. Finally, we propose a model to account for those observations and the underlying biochemical mechanism.

''