Dresden 2026 – scientific programme
Parts | Days | Selection | Search | Updates | Downloads | Help
BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 17: Statistical Physics of Biological Systems I (joint session DY/BP)
BP 17.3: Talk
Wednesday, March 11, 2026, 10:00–10:15, ZEU/0114
Reentrant phase separation and critical behaviour in cellular aggregates — •Subhadip Chakraborti1,2 and Vasily Zaburdaev1,2 — 1Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany — 2Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany
We study pili-mediated bacterial colonies as a paradigm for attractive cellular aggregates. The interplay between inherent motility and intercellular attraction leads to a reentrant phase separation between attraction-induced and motility-induced phase separation separated by a homogenous state. Using finite-size scaling of the largest cluster we characterise these two transitions and thereby determine the associated critical lines in terms of the control parameters - density, pili lifetime and attraction strength. We further evaluate critical exponents corresponding to two transitions in the parameter space and from their relations determine the respective universality classes.
Keywords: Cellular Aggregates; Phase transition; Critical phenomena