Probing pattern formation and dynamics of nanoscale 'swarms'

'Flocking' or 'swarming' behavior is omnipresent in the living world, observed in birds, fish, and even bacteria. Strikingly similar collective action can also be seen in biomolecules within and between cells. New insights into how this action is coordinated at the biomolecular level are emerging from studies of a model system based on actin filaments.