Self-organization across scales: from molecules to organisms

Tanumoy Saha; Milos Galic

doi:10.1098/rstb.2017.0113

Self-organization across scales: from molecules to organisms

Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2018 May 26;373(1747):20170113. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0113.

Authors

Tanumoy Saha^{1

2}, Milos Galic^{3

2}

Affiliations

¹ DFG Cluster of Excellence 'Cells in Motion', (EXC 1003), University of Muenster, Waldeyerstrasse 15, 48149 Muenster, Germany.
² Institute of Medical Physics and Biophysics, University of Muenster, Robert-Koch-Strasse 31, 48149 Muenster, Germany.
³ DFG Cluster of Excellence 'Cells in Motion', (EXC 1003), University of Muenster, Waldeyerstrasse 15, 48149 Muenster, Germany galic@uni-muenster.de.

Abstract

Creating ordered structures from chaotic environments is at the core of biological processes at the subcellular, cellular and organismic level. In this perspective, we explore the physical as well as biological features of two prominent concepts driving self-organization, namely phase transition and reaction-diffusion, before closing with a discussion on open questions and future challenges associated with studying self-organizing systems.This article is part of the theme issue 'Self-organization in cell biology'.

Keywords: phase transition; reaction–diffusion; self-organization.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Diffusion*
Models, Biological*
Phase Transition*

Associated data

figshare/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.4001145