Embodied ciliary coordination in protists

The coordinated dynamics of cilia – microscopic, filamentous appendages on the surface of many eukaryotic cells – is a striking example of collective behaviour in biology that many ciliated organisms rely on for locomotion and feeding. Protists exhibit diverse and functionally specialised ciliary structures. We focus on different species of ciliates that possess compound cilia, some where the cilia are bundled together to form leg-like appendages and others arranged into feather-like band structures. High-resolution imaging methods, such as electron microscopy and expansion microscopy, reveal the intricate organisation of these multi-ciliated structures. By combining high-speed imaging, electrophysiological measurements and precise mechanical probing techniques, we explore how bioelectric cues and mechanical touch stimulation orchestrate collective state transitions in the ciliary activity of protists. The mechanosensitivity of ciliated protists offers insight into how mechanical stimuli can serve as an external trigger for collective transitions in ciliary activity. Our findings demonstrate the role of bioelectric signals and mechanical drivers in shaping coordinated ciliary dynamics.