Joshua Lequieu, PhD, assistant professor of chemical and biological engineering, received a grant from the Charles E. Kaufman Foundation, which supports innovative and inter- disciplinary scientific research at Pennsylvania universities, to study an emerging concept in cellular biology.
A well-known tenet of biology is that, within any given cell, thousands of biochemical reactions are happening in a given second, and that to keep these reactions orderly, the cell separates them using organelles, which use membranes to contain reactions. But within the last decade, a new class of intracellular compartments has been discovered called biomolecular condensates.
Condensates differ from typical compartments because they do not rely on membranes, instead relying on a process known as phase separation. In the same way that oil and water form distinct layers when combined, cells use mixtures of different protein and nucleic acid molecules to separate functions from each other. Lequieu’s project will create a novel theoretical framework to explain how these operations happen. After validating the approach using hundreds of experimental measurements, Lequieu will explore the interactions that drive condensate formation.
“Understanding how and why typical condensates form can help us identify the process behind atypical formations,” Lequieu explained. “Studies have shown that poorly- formed condensates are responsible for a number of diseases, including cancer, neurodegeneration and more. If we have a better picture of how condensates work, we may be able to treat these diseases more effectively at the cellular level.”