Topological turbulence in the membrane of a living cell | Nature Physics

Activity in certain living systems can lead to swirling flows akin to turbulence. Here, the authors connect the dynamics of topological defects in starfish oocyte membranes to vortex dynamics in 2D Bose–Einstein condensates.

Subjects Biophysics Topological matter Abstract Topological defects determine the structure and function of physical and biological matter over a wide range of scales, from the turbulent vortices in planetary atmospheres, oceans or quantum fluids to bioelectrical signalling in the heart 1 , 2 , 3 and brain 4 , and cell death 5 . Many advances have been made in understanding and controlling the defect dynamics in active 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 and passive 9 , 10 non-equilibrium fluids. Yet, it remains unknown whether the statistical laws that govern the dynamics of defects in classical 11 or quantum flui

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