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Updated: Jan 20, 2026

Fabrication of Spatially Confined Complex Oxides
Published on: July 1, 2013
Uni-cellular integration of complex spatial information in slime moulds and ciliates
Daniel Schenz1, Yukinori Nishigami2, Katsuhiko Sato2
1Research Center of Mathematics for Social Creativity, Research Institute for Electronic Science, Hokkaido University, N20W10, Sapporo, 001-0020, Japan; Institute for Chemical Reaction Design and Discovery (WPI-ICReDD), Hokkaido University, N21W10, Sapporo, 001-0021, Japan.
Abstract:
Single-celled organisms show a fascinating faculty for integrating spatial information and adapting their behaviour accordingly. As such they are of potential interest for elucidating fundamental mechanisms of developmental biology. In this mini-review we highlight current research on two organisms, the true slime mould Physarum polycephalum and the ciliates Paramecium and Tetrahymena. For each of these, we present a case study how applying physical principles to explain behaviour can lead to the understanding of general principles possibly relevant to developmental biology.
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