Dresden 2020 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 14: Focus: Phase Separation in Biological Systems II (joint session BP/CPP)

BP 14.6: Talk

Tuesday, March 17, 2020, 11:30–11:45, ZEU 250

Theory of dissolution front dynamics predicts droplet distribution in stiffness gradients — •Estefania Vidal-Henriquez and David Zwicker — Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany

Liquid-liquid phase separation is an important mechanism for compartmentalizing the cell's cytoplasm, allowing the dynamic organization of the components necessary for survival. However, it is not clear how phase separation is affected by the complex viscoelastic environment inside the cell. Here we study theoretically how stiffness gradients influence droplet growth and arrangement. Since elastic gradients imply concentration gradients in the dilute phase, droplet material is transported from stiff to soft regions. This process drives a dissolution front invading the stiff region. Using a mean-field theory, we predict how the front emerges and how it propagates. This elastic ripening occurs at a rate much faster than classical Ostwald ripening, thus driving the dynamics. Our work shows how spatial differences in elastic properties could control liquid compartments inside cells.