Speaker: Prof. Samuel Wilken

Host: Dr. Itamar Kolvin

Title: Self-assembled mesoscale life: controlling patterns, mechanics, and reactions using DNA liquids 

Abstract:

 Cells operate by coordinating reactions to occur at the right time and in the right place in a biochemically and mechanically complex environment. One remarkable way cells organize biomolecules to perform reactions is by utilizing the physics of binodal coexistence, called 'liquid-liquid phase separation' (LLPS). Given the complexity of living systems, we develop controlled model systems to investigate their dynamics and structures. LLPS model systems built from DNA nanostars can harness the design power of nucleic acids to display a range of near-equilibrium dynamical and structural behaviors, including spatial patterning, nucleation dynamics, size control, and switchable gel mechanics. Finally, inspired by transcriptional condensates in the cell nucleus, we develop a non-equilibrium model system in which nanostar condensation controls and can be controlled by in vitro transcription reactions. Precise models of LLPS systems, composed of enzymatically active droplets, will not only illuminate general organizational principles in living systems but also enable the development of new modes of biomolecular and mechanical transport.