ICMCS Seminar - Labyrinthula - An underwater microbial railway network
ICMCS Seminar - Labyrinthula - An underwater microbial railway network
- Event time: 4:00pm until 5:00pm
- Event date: 16th February 2026
- Speaker: Mr Joseph M. Knight (School of Physics & Astronomy, University of Edinburgh)
- Location: James Clerk Maxwell Building (JCMB) 2511 James Clerk Maxwell Building Peter Guthrie Tait Road Edinburgh EH9 3FD GB
Event details
Labyrinthula species are protistan organisms found predominantly in coastal marine environments, notably as residents on seagrass leaves. A fascinating characteristic of this order, observed over a century ago but little studied since, is the ability for cells to secrete an extracellular ectoplasmic net. This allows colonies to form a spatial network of interconnected extracellular filaments across a substrate. Individual Labyrinthula cells are confined within these filaments and move independently about this network. The collective and interconnected behaviour amongst moving cells and the expanding network invites a physics-based approach to this biological system. In this developing project, we describe and contextualise the behaviour of growing colonies as spatial networks and probe their environmental dependence.
https://ed-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/81211470751
Meeting ID: 812 1147 0751
Passcode: ICMCS123
About Condensed Matter seminars
This is a weekly series of informal talks given primarily by members of the institute of condensed matter and complex systems, but is also open to members of other groups and external visitors. The aim of the series is to promote discussion and learning of various topics at a level suitable to the broad background of the group. Everyone is welcome to attend..