Modelling cellular interactions with cellular automata

Analysing the principles of collective cell motion and interaction is of primary importance in order to understand not only life cyles of bacteria or social amoebae but also the organization of tissues, wound healing or organogenesis. Cellular automata offer a modelling perspective to typical examples of cellular pattern formation based on direct cell-cell interactions.

We have characterized basic, in particular density- and orientation-dependent, interactions. Density-dependent interaction provides a model of differential adhesion while orientation-dependent interaction yields a model of collective cell motion or swarming. Orientation reversal induced by cellular collisions can explain periodic rippling patterns in myxobacteria if, additionally, refractoriness of the reversal mechanism is assumed.

Cellular automata can be used as simulation tool of spatio-temporal pattern formation but also allow for straightforward analysis. In particular, Fourier analysis permits to deduce important orientational and spatial aspects of simulation outcomes.