Regensburg 2025 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 20: Statistical Physics of Biological Systems I (joint session BP/DY)

BP 20.1: Talk

Wednesday, March 19, 2025, 15:00–15:15, H44

Separating bio-condensates with surfactant-like proteins — Jannik Kindermann and •Tyler Harmon — Leibniz Institute for Polymer Research, Dresden, Germany

Biocondensates are prevalent in cells as individual compartments that separate material and reactions in space. Many condensates share similar components and/or chemical interactions that drive their formation. This would suggest that the condensate:condensate interface would have a very low surface tension compared to the condensate:solvent interfaces. Supported by in vitro results, this leads to condensate-inside-condensate or dumbbell-like architectures which minimize the condensate:solvent interfaces. However, in vitro, condensates are most often isolated in space from each other. This could play important roles such as limiting the direct flow of material from one condensate to another. The mechanism in cells that separates droplets in space is unknown.

We show using simulations and theory that proteins or other biopolymers that have surfactant like molecular architectures can separate condensates in space. We show how robust this mechanism can be with respect to condensate specificity and the expression levels of surfactant-like molecules in cells.

Keywords: Biomolecular condensates; Condensate identity