Before revision: A hallmark of living systems is their ability to generate complex spatial patterns at the molecular, cellular, and multicellular levels. Many such systems rely on coupled biochemical and genetic signaling mechanisms that can produce URLanization. Long-range order and patterning can also emerge, however, through purely mechanical interactions. Here, we study the starvation-induced aggregation of gliding Myxococcus xanthus bacteria and show that these cells phase separate by tuning their motility over time.
After revision: Combining high-resolution single cell tracking experiments with numerical simulations, we show that starvation-induced aggregation of gliding Myxococcus xanthus bacteria and show that these cells phase separate by tuning their motility over time.