Artificial Life Approach for Controlling Fibrillation in Self-Oscillating Gels

Biological rhythms are fundamental to life but are highly complex and difficult to study directly in living systems. Understanding how these rhythms can be controlled is crucial for addressing rhythm disorders. This challenge has increased interest in software-based Artificial Life (ALife) approaches, which allow systematic investigation of rhythmic phenomena under controlled conditions. Here, we numerically examined the response of self-oscillating gels to external mechanical forces, focusing on fibrillation control and resonance. A coupled model of the Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction and gel volume changes reproduced the gel's intrinsic oscillations. Fibrillation, characterized by stable spiral waves and suppressed swelling/contraction, was induced by inclined compression during early swelling. Applying multiple compressions at intervals corresponding to integer ratios of the gel's intrinsic period suppressed fibrillation, demonstrating resonance. The gel's oscillation period also synchronized with compressions near its intrinsic period or harmonics. These results highlight the potential of ALife approaches to elucidate mechanisms of biological rhythm disorders and suggest strategies for restoring coordinated oscillations, analogous to the resuscitation of a heart in a fibrillatory state.