(If you take time to think about this, feel free to pause reading and write your best solution in the comments!)
How about: - Allocating energy everywhere to either twitching randomly or collecting nutrients. Assuming you are propelled by the twitching, this follows the gradient if there’s one. - Try to grow in all directions. If there are no outside nutrients to fuel this growth, consume yourself. In this manner, regenerate yourself in the direction of the gradient. - Try to grab nutrients from all directions. If there are nutrients, by reaction you will be propelled towards it so this moves in the direction of the gradient.
Update after seeing the solution of B. subtilis: Looks like I had the wrong level of abstraction in mind. Also, I didn’t consider group solutions.
Kudos for taking the challenge! If I understand correctly, your first point is actually pretty similar to how E. coli follows gradients of nutrients, even when the scale of the gradient is much larger than the size of a cell.
How about:
- Allocating energy everywhere to either twitching randomly or collecting nutrients. Assuming you are propelled by the twitching, this follows the gradient if there’s one.
- Try to grow in all directions. If there are no outside nutrients to fuel this growth, consume yourself. In this manner, regenerate yourself in the direction of the gradient.
- Try to grab nutrients from all directions. If there are nutrients, by reaction you will be propelled towards it so this moves in the direction of the gradient.
Update after seeing the solution of B. subtilis: Looks like I had the wrong level of abstraction in mind. Also, I didn’t consider group solutions.
Kudos for taking the challenge! If I understand correctly, your first point is actually pretty similar to how E. coli follows gradients of nutrients, even when the scale of the gradient is much larger than the size of a cell.