Nematic and polar order in active filament solutions.

Using a microscopic model of interacting polar biofilaments and motor proteins, we characterize the phase diagram of both homogeneous and inhomogeneous states in terms of experimental parameters. The polarity of motor clusters is key in determining the organization of the filaments in homogeneous isotropic, polarized, and nematic states, while motor-induced bundling yields spatially inhomogeneous structures.