Theory of associative polymers and its relevance to intracellular phase transitions

4 March 2022

Rohit Pappu
Center for Science and Engineering of Living Cells
Washington University in St Louis

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Abstract

Biomolecular condensates provide spatial and temporal organization of macromolecular matter within cells. Over the past decade, the concept of liquid-liquid phase separation, or LLPS, has emerged as a framework for describing how condensates form, how they are regulated, how they function, and how they dissolve. This talk will highlight the limitations of LLPS-based thinking and introduce a generalized set of concepts that bridge the gap across disparate observations regarding condensates. The framework, anchored in the theory of associative polymers, conceptualizes drivers of condensate formation using the stickers-and-spacers paradigm. Using this framework, results from theory, computations, and experiments will be presented to make the case for condensates as viscoelastic materials that form via coupled phase separation and percolation.

current theory lunch schedule