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  3. Light-induced Phase Separation With Finite Wavelength Selection In Photophobic Microalgae.
  1. Home
  3. Light-induced Phase Separation With Finite Wavelength Selection In Photophobic Microalgae.

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Light-Induced Phase Separation with Finite Wavelength Selection in Photophobic Microalgae.

Isabelle Eisenmann1, Alfredo L'Homme2, Aliénor Lahlou3,4

  • 1ENS, Laboratoire de Physique de l'Ecole normale supérieure, Université PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Cité, F-75005 Paris, France.

Physical Review Letters
|October 19, 2025

View abstract on PubMed

Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Microalgae suspensions can spontaneously separate into patterns due to light absorption and cell density changes. This motility-induced phase separation protects cells from high light intensity.

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Area of Science:

  • Cellular biology
  • Microbiology
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Motile microalgae, such as Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, exhibit phototaxis, altering movement in response to light.
  • Light absorption by dense cell suspensions can lead to self-shading, influencing microalgal behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the instability of photophobic microalgal suspensions to density fluctuations.
  • To explore the role of light absorption and shading in driving collective cell behaviors.
  • To demonstrate a motility-induced phase separation mechanism in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

Main Methods:

  • Experimental observation of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii suspensions in a circular illumination geometry.
  • Analysis of density fluctuations and pattern formation.
  • Development of a drift-diffusion framework to model the system's behavior.

    • Main Results:

    • Photophobic cell suspensions exhibit instability due to shading interactions, leading to phase separation.
    • Transient branching patterns emerge, demonstrating finite wavelength selection via motility-induced phase separation.
    • A drift-diffusion model successfully predicts wavelength dependence on cell density, light intensity, and viscosity.

    Conclusions:

    • Collective behaviors, specifically active phase separation, driven by phototaxis can provide photoprotection.
    • Motility-induced phase separation is a mechanism for microalgae to mitigate the effects of high light intensity on short timescales.