Self-Organization and Network Formation in Physarum polycephalum

The ability to dynamically adapt and exhibit autonomous behavior is a hallmark of life. Although such capabilities are typically linked to neuronal information processing, the acellular slime mold Physarum polycephalum proves this is not a necessity. This organism, which forms a vast tubular network within a single cell, effectively solves complex problems, demonstrating that a form of biological intelligence can exist independently of a neural network. Here we investigate how controlled external stimuli induce Physarum polycephalum to utilize its biological intelligence to self-organize and form networks. Our approach will establish a framework to study emergent cognition in decentralized biological systems and offers new insights into the mechanisms underlying self-organizing behaviors in living organisms.