Minimum-risk path finding by an adaptive amoebal network

Phys Rev Lett. 2007 Aug 10;99(6):068104. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.99.068104. Epub 2007 Aug 10.

Abstract

When two food sources are presented to the slime mold Physarum in the dark, a thick tube for absorbing nutrients is formed that connects the food sources through the shortest route. When the light-avoiding organism is partially illuminated, however, the tube connecting the food sources follows a different route. Defining risk as the experimentally measurable rate of light-avoiding movement, the minimum-risk path is exhibited by the organism, determined by integrating along the path. A model for an adaptive-tube network is presented that is in good agreement with the experimental observations.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Physiological / physiology*
  • Animals
  • Behavior, Animal / physiology
  • Feedback / physiology
  • Light*
  • Locomotion / physiology*
  • Mathematics
  • Models, Biological*
  • Physarum polycephalum / physiology*
  • Signal Transduction / physiology