Life Droplets: New Cell Niche

1 Credit · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

This course explores how cells compartmentalize biological processes in space and time. We will examine a fundamental question in biology: why and how do cells organize to create the structures needed to promote specific functions? While traditional compartments like the Golgi apparatus and mitochondria are bounded by membranes, we will focus on a class of membraneless, self-organizing structures known as biomolecular condensates. These condensates form through phase separation in response to physicochemical changes, representing a novel mechanism of cellular organization. Integrating principles from physics, chemistry, and biology, this emerging field offers fresh insights into gene regulation, cellular stress, the origin of life, and the molecular underpinnings of diseases such as cancer and neurodegeneration.