Dresden 2026 – wissenschaftliches Programm

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 8: Systems and Networks Biophysics

BP 8.4: Vortrag

Montag, 9. März 2026, 17:45–18:00, BAR/0106

pH-Driven Network Dynamics and Reorganization in Physarum polycephalum — •Mathieu Le Verge-Serandour, Alexandra Bienau, Karen Alim, and Friedrich Simmel — School of Natural Sciences, Technical University of Munich

Understanding how living networks sense and respond to environmental stressors is key to engineering adaptive biological interfaces. In this work, we investigate how vascular-like functionality can be integrated into bioelectronic interfaces. We use the unicellular slime mold Physarum polycephalum, whose dynamic transport network exhibits emergent behaviors such as optimization, adaptation, and healing, making it a powerful platform for probing decentralized, stimulus-responsive growth. We expose Physarum networks to extreme pH gradients, which trigger evacuation toward non-aversive regions. Below a critical size, networks fail to reorganize, whereas larger ones evacuate successfully, revealing how extended sensing range enables rapid detection and reconfiguration. When confronted with opposing acid and base fronts, networks consolidate into single elongated tubes along the neutral boundary. We analyze how tube contractions, which generate long-range internal flows, translate aversive cues into evacuation dynamics. Finally, complex acid/base geometries or electrode-based dynamic pH control allow precise manipulation of the organism's vascular architecture. These results highlight how biological vascular networks offer a compelling model for scalable, adaptive systems capable of environmental responsiveness and morphological reconfiguration.

Keywords: Physarum polycephalum; Flow network; Chemotaxis; Coarsening