Form Follows Function - Morphodynamics in single-celled Algae

Photosynthesis is essential for all life on Earth. However, the ever-changing light conditions in the environment of organisms are continuously challenging the photosynthetic performance. We show how non-motile organisms, like single-celled marine algae, can adapt to changes in light by morphing their photosynthetic material. As this highly dynamic process occurs in confinement by the rigid cell wall, the drastic intracellular re-arrangement needs "smart" logistics strategies. We show how the cell exploits meta-material properties to adapt to environmental changes efficiently. Exposing the cell to different physiological light conditions and applying temporal illumination sequences shows that the morpho-dynamics follow simple rules, allowing the use of coarse-grained equations of motion to describe this biological system. Our study shows how topologically complex metamaterials are applied in critical life-sustaining processes in nature and that simple dynamical rules can account for complex material transport in a crowded intracellular environment.