Figure 6.

Experimental estimation of the phase difference maps. (a) Kymograph of a P₂N₂ consortium with windows indicating the relative positions of two example subpopulations used to calculate phase difference maps (n=5 independent experiments). The paired subpopulation windows are 167μm wide, and 67μm apart. (b) Average total fluorescence as a function of phase for the two subpopulations in the windows shown in (a). Here Δϕ_i represents the phase difference at the peak of the i^th cycle. The phase differences are decreasing and the two subpopulations reach synchrony at the 6^th cycle. (c) The mapping of phase differences (|Δϕ_i+1| as a function of |Δϕ_i |) for different architectures (light symbols) was computed using the data presented in Fig. 2i–l and Supplementary Fig. 3e–h. We obtained mean phase difference maps for each consortium type by averaging groups of 10 phase differences sequentially, separately for consortia with (blue curve) and without (red curve) a positive feedback loop. On average, phase differences shrink for consortia with the positive feedback, as the blue curve lies below the diagonal. In contrast, phase differences grow for consortia without the positive feedback, as the red curve is mostly above the diagonal. Error bars represent standard error.