bims-fascar Biomed News
on Phase separation and cellular architecture
Issue of 2020‒07‒19
two papers selected by
Victoria Yan
Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics


  1. Elife. 2020 Jul 14. pii: e59663. [Epub ahead of print]9
      Computer simulations of model proteins with sticker-and-spacer architectures shed light on the formation of biomolecular condensates in cells.
    Keywords:  condensates; metastable droplets; metastable phase separation; molecular biophysics; multivalent proteins; none; organelle sizes; phase separation; physics of living systems; structural biology
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.59663
  2. Mol Cell. 2020 Jul 16. pii: S1097-2765(20)30464-0. [Epub ahead of print]79(2): 205-206
      Phase separation is a thermodynamic process, but cells are inherently out of equilibrium. Guilhas et al. (2020) identify an active process through which an ATP-dependent motor controls the number and position of biomolecular condensates in bacteria.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molcel.2020.06.035