Inside cells, certain functions are carried out by locally adjusting molecular composition. This condensation of material results in the formation of dense droplets that can dynamically rearrange. Because of this, interactions between such dense regions determine the shaping of condensates. Scientists from the Department of Living Matter Physics at MPI-DS recently developed a model that can describe such phase separation dynamics based solely on attraction. The work is published in the journal Physical Review Letters.
“It’s natural to think that a system with only attractive forces would form one large, stationary condensate,” explained Jacopo Romano, first author of the study.
“However, instead we observed an unexpected emergent property of chasing dynamics resulting in movement and propulsion,” he said.
