Spontaneous demixing in binary cell mixtures with polar alignment

Abstract The demixing of embryonic cell populations plays a crucial role in developing organisms. This process facilitates the compartmentalization of various cell types, allowing for specialized functions and tissue development. We examine if orientation coupling alone is sufficient to induce demixing in a binary cell mixture. To address this question, we utilized the self-propelled Voronoi model to investigate the demixing behavior of binary cells with different chirality in the presence of polar alignment. There exists an optimal value of chirality or polar alignment at which cells undergo robust demixing. Furthermore, our research reveals that a particular interplay between the self-propelled velocity and the shape index can aid in the process of cell demixing. Notably, an increase in self-propelled velocity corresponds to a decrease in the shape index value required for effective cell demixing. The ability to manipulate cell demixing through orientation coupling could offer new strategies for engineering tissue structures or controlling cell demixing in regenerative medicine and synthetic biology.