Ultrafast reversible self-assembly of living tangled matter

Abstract

Tangled active filaments are ubiquitous in nature, from chromosomal DNA and cilia carpets to root networks and worm blobs. How activity and elasticity facilitate collective topological transformations in living tangled matter is not well understood. Here, we report an experimental and theoretical study of California blackworms (Lumbriculus variegatus), which slowly form tangles over minutes but can untangle in milliseconds. Combining ultrasound imaging, theoretical analysis and simulations, we develop and validate a mechanistic model that explains how the kinematics of individual active filaments determines their emergent collective topological dynamics. The model reveals that resonantly alternating helical waves enable both tangle formation and ultrafast untangling. By identifying generic dynamical principles of topological self-transformations, our results can provide guidance for designing new classes of topologically tunable active materials.