Motility regulation as a self-organization principle

Beyond a simple expression for a steady-state distribution, equilibrium statistical mechanics teach us principles on how to control the self-assembly of passive materials by tuning the competition between energy and entropy to achieve desired states of organization. Out of equilibrium, no such principles apply and self-organization principles are scarce. In this talk I will review the progress which has been made over the past ten years to control the self-organization of active particles by controlling their motility, either externally or through interactions. I will show that relatively generic principle applies, which can be used to control the self-assembly of active particles. In particular, I will show how the cross control of motility can be used by co-existing species of run-and-tumble bacteria to self-organize in space.