An energy-based mathematical model of actin-driven protrusions in eukaryotic chemotaxis

The paper operates within the established paradigms of cell biology and biophysics concerning eukaryotic chemotaxis, which include mechanistic models like the Brownian ratchet and conflicting chemosensing frameworks like compass-based versus pseudopod-centered models. It proposes a new, unifying paradigm where cell protrusive dynamics are governed by energy optimization. This framework posits that cells adopt morphologies that maximize the distance traveled per unit of energy expended, balancing the energetic costs of protrusion formation against the benefits of detecting chemical gradients.

This paper is classified as a Model Revolution because it introduces a novel theoretical framework to resolve existing anomalies and conflicting experimental results in the study of cell motility. Rather than incrementally modifying existing models, it proposes a new fundamental organizing principle: energy optimization. This energy-based model successfully reproduces and explains disparate observations, such as the transition between bet-hedging and speculative phenotypes, as outcomes of a single trade-off. By offering a new, unifying lens to understand chemotaxis, the paper attempts to initiate a shift in the conceptual foundation of the field, which is the hallmark of a revolutionary work.