Distinct States in an Active Liquid Crystal of Flagella and Kinesin-Powered Microtubules under Varying Confinement

At significant confinement levels, the potent active stress disrupts the alignment of the flagella, leading to a turbulent state in the composite liquid crystal. Conversely, minimal confinement enables the dominant nematic alignment to counteract the active stress, inducing the phase separation of microtubules within a uniform flagella background. The confocal micrograph unveils uniform flagella distribution across the medium, while the microtubules segregate into a distinct lane-like structure within the channel's narrowest confinement.