The 6th Tsuneko & Reiji Okazaki Award Winner
Liquid phase condensation in cell physiology & disease
Clifford P. Brangwynne
My colleagues and I have pioneered the concept that biomolecules condense into dynamic intracellular compartments through a process known as liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) (1,2). Biomolecular condensates are found throughout the cell, and play diverse roles in cell physiology. Our lab utilizes approaches from soft matter physics, bioengineering, and molecular and cellular biology to interrogate the biophysical principles by which various condensates form, including the nature of sequence-encoded driving forces. This talk will highlight our work on the role of condensates in nuclear organization and gene expression, where droplet-like condensates decorate the genome, and facilitate the flow of genetic information and its dysregulation in disease (3,4,5).
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