Division/Committee: [PHYS] Division of Physical Chemistry

Biological condensates play essential roles in various cellular processes, from stress response to genome organization. Similar to membrane-bound organelles, they assemble a collection of molecules to raise the efficiency of sophisticated tasks. The lack of a membrane barrier allows fast material exchange between condensates and the cellular environment, rendering the molecular composition and stability of condensates more prone to regulations by external signals. Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) that promote multivalent, promiscuous interactions are key drivers of condensate formation. Multiple mechanisms, including electrostatic, cation-π, hydrogen bonding, and hydrophobic interactions, contribute to the affinity among various chemical groups. Above a threshold concentration, as predicted by the Flory-Huggins theory, interactions among IDPs can drive liquid-liquid phase separation to produce a highly concentrated phase that nevertheless remains dynamic. Despite significant progress, much remains to be learned regarding the connection between amino acid sequences and protein phase behaviors, or the so-called “molecular grammar” of protein condensates. Systematic and quantitative structural and chemical characterizations of condensates are necessary to understand their organizational principles further. This symposium will bring together theorists and experimentalists to present the latest progress in studying biomolecular condensates, identify future challenges, and promote collaborations.

Galia Debelouchina

University of California San Diego

Appearances