Autori: Hanson, K.L., Nicolau, D.V., Jr, Filipponi, F., Wang, L., Lee, A.P. Nicolau, D.V.

Editorial: Small, 2, p.1212-1220, 2006.

Rezumat:

Fungi, in particular, basidiomycetous fungi, are very successful in colonizing
microconfined mazelike networks (for example, soil, wood, leaf litter, plant and animal tissues), a fact suggesting that they maybe efficient solving agents of geometrical problems. We therefore evaluated the growth behavior and optimality of fungal space-searching algorithms in microfluidic mazes and networks. First, we found that fungal growth behavior was indeed strongly modulated by the geometry of microconfinement. Second, the fungus used a complex growth and space-searching strategy comprising two algorithmic subsets: 1) long-range directional memory of individual hyphae and 2) inducement of branching by
physical obstruction. Third, stochastic simulations using experimentally
measured parameters showed that this strategy maximizes both survival
and biomass homogeneity in microconfined networks and produces
optimal results only when both algorithms are synergistically used. This study suggests that even simple microorganisms have developed adequate
strategies to solve nontrivial geometrical problems.

Cuvinte cheie: biocomputation, fungi, microfluidics, networks