A new study from the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization suggests that tiny, one-sided interactions between molecules might play a powerful role in creating and stabilizing life.
These “asymmetric” or non-reciprocal interactions—where one molecule pulls while the other pushes—could help explain how the complex structures inside living cells form and stay organized.
Just like in a well-run company where each person has a role and everything works best when tasks are clearly divided, cells also function efficiently thanks to their internal organization.
Different parts of a cell take on different jobs, and this order allows life to exist and thrive.
The researchers wanted to understand the basic physical rules that might explain how such order emerges.
They created computer models to simulate how simple particles—standing in for molecules—interact.
Usually, in passive systems where molecules interact randomly and equally, the system naturally balances itself and can form stable patterns.
But living systems are not passive. They are active, dynamic, and constantly changing.
The team discovered that when they introduced asymmetric, or non-reciprocal, interactions—where one particle is drawn to another, but the other tries to move away—the system became more active.
Surprisingly, this imbalance didn’t lead to chaos. Instead, it gave the system a new kind of control.
The particles could adjust their behavior and form different kinds of structures depending on how strong these uneven forces were.
Co-author Navdeep Rana explained that adjusting the level of non-reciprocity in the system helped mimic things seen in real biology.
For example, cells often form “molecular condensates”—droplet-like structures that aren’t surrounded by membranes but still play key roles in organizing cell functions.
These asymmetrical forces could also help create traveling waves of molecules, similar to how cells send signals across their interiors.
This research gives scientists a new way to think about the physics behind life. It shows that even very simple, one-sided molecular pushes and pulls might be enough to create the complex structures that living cells rely on.
And by understanding these hidden forces, researchers could move one step closer to explaining how the building blocks of life organize themselves into something as amazing and adaptable as a living organism.
