Protein Phase Separation: A New Phase in Cell Biology

Abstract

Cellular compartments and organelles organize biological matter. Most well-known organelles are separated by a membrane boundary from their surrounding milieu. There are also many so-called membraneless organelles and recent studies suggest that these organelles, which are supramolecular assemblies of proteins and RNA molecules, form via protein phase separation. Recent discoveries have shed light on the molecular properties, formation, regulation, and function of membraneless organelles. A combination of techniques from cell biology, biophysics, physical chemistry, structural biology, and bioinformatics are starting to help establish the molecular principles of an emerging field, thus paving the way for exciting discoveries, including novel therapeutic approaches for the treatment of age-related disorders.

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Affiliated Institutions

• KU Leuven BE
• Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics DE
• University of Zurich CH
• Stanford University US
• University of Debrecen HU
• Institute of Molecular Life Sciences HU
• Vrije Universiteit Brussel BE
• VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology BE
• Brown University US
• University of Pennsylvania US
• Boston University US
• St. Jude Children's Research Hospital US
• VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research BE
• Hungarian Academy of Sciences HU
• HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences HU

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