Biochemical feedback leads to dynamical transitions between cellular states, reminiscent of phase transitions in equilibrium systems. Yet cells are far from equilibrium . Here we show using a generic birth-death model that despite being far from equilibrium, biochemical feedback near a bifurcation point exhibits the scaling exponents of the mean-field universality class . The theory allows us to calculate an effective order parameter, temperature, external field, and heat capacity from T cell fluorescence data without fitting. Experiments agree with the scaling predictions, suggesting that this type of nonequilibrium criticality plays an important role in cell biology.
Biochemical feedback leads to dynamical transitions between cellular states, reminiscent of phase transitions in statistical physics. Yet it is unknown whether cells exhibit the scaling properties associated with phase transitions, and if they do, to which universality class or classes they belong . Here we show using a generic birth-death model that biochemical feedback near a bifurcation point exhibits the scaling exponents of the Ising universality class in the mean-field limit . The theory allows us to calculate an effective order parameter, temperature, external field, and heat capacity from T cell fluorescence data without fitting. Experiments agree with the scaling predictions, suggesting that this type of nonequilibrium criticality plays an important role in cell biology.
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equilibrium systems. Yet cells are far from equilibrium
statistical physics. Yet it is unknown whether cells exhibit the scaling properties associated with phase transitions, and if they do, to which universality class or classes they belong
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despite being far from equilibrium,
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mean-field universality class
Ising universality class in the mean-field limit