Mind the Gap: A Solution to the Robustness Problem of Turing Patterns Through Patterning Mode Isolation

Turing patterns, characterised by spatial self-organisation in reaction–diffusion systems, exhibit sensitivity to initial conditions. This sensitivity, known as the robustness problem, results in different final patterns emerging even from small initial perturbations. In this paper, we introduce a mechanism of pattern mode isolation, where we investigate parameter regimes that promote the isolation of bifurcation branches, thereby delineating the conditions under which distinct pattern modes emerge and evolve independently. Pattern mode isolation can provide a means of enhancing the predictability of Turing pattern mode transitions and enhance the robustness and reproducibility of the patterning outputs.