Paths to Pathogens

At a crossroads, we may receive conflicting advice “keep your options open” or “go all in”. It appears cells weigh up similar decisions when faced with multiple paths to take. Navigating routes around hexagonal cells in this zebrafish tail fin, macrophages, a type of immune cell highlighted in orange, consider two approaches. Investigating many paths at once helps to explore the local environment but slows progress. Or do they go all in with, choosing a path? Less dawdling means migration is faster, but it might lead to a 'wrong' choice. Researchers developed a mathematical model to simulate these strategies, finding cells will make different choices depending on obstacles and chemical clues to the 'right' path. Adapting the model may predict the migration of cancer cells or macrophages in our own immune system, possibly finding, as we do, that most choices have pros and cons – and sometimes all roads lead to Rome.

Written by John Ankers

John Ankers

Writer

A former researcher in systems biology, John is now an online biology tutor and professional coach supporting the wellbeing of scientists and NHS professionals. He's writing, too, of course.

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• Video from work by Jiayi Liu and colleagues
• Cell Communication & Migration Laboratory, Institute of Biochemistry & Molecular Cell Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; Department of Chemical & Biological Physics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
• Video originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
• Published in Science Advances, January 2026