need a break from politics?
pls check out my story about the mind-boggling biology of biomolecular condensates, up today.

Big thank you to fantastic editors @tvjrennie @7homaslin and factchecker @meralagish, and Quanta's amazing art team @NatureInTheory & Samuel Velasco. https://twitter.com/QuantaMagazine/status/1347230102371901440
The field of biomolecular condensates is so big that it was difficult to include everybody. But here are some interesting people in addition to @brangwynnelab @weber_lab @HymanLab @LindsayCase19 @PappulabWashU that helped me understand the biology of condensates
. @sanewman1 spoke to me 2 years ago(!) about how condensates could be involved in the evolution of cell types https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022519319304011
Cell differentiation: What have we learned in 50 years?

I revisit two theories of cell differentiation in multicellular organisms published a half-century ago, Stuart Kauffman's global genome regulatory dyn…

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022519319304011
. @GladfelterLab helped me understand how fungi cells use phase separation. Separately, she even found that phase separation occurs in the SARS-CoV-2 virus! https://www.cell.com/molecular-cell/fulltext/S1097-2765(20)30841-8
Genomic RNA Elements Drive Phase Separation of the SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid

Iserman and Roden et al. demonstrate phase separation (LLPS) of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (N-protein) with viral RNA. Viral RNA sequences promote or oppose phase separation depending on binding...

https://www.cell.com/molecular-cell/fulltext/S1097-2765(20)30841-8
Witold K. Surewicz told me more about phase separation in the context of neurodegenerative diseases https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-19211-z
Small molecules as potent biphasic modulators of protein liquid-liquid phase separation

Dysregulated liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of proteins can facilitate aberrant phase transitions and lead to protein aggregation and disease. Here, authors demonstrate that 4,4’-dianilino...

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-19211-z
And I just noticed a paper in today's issue of Cancer Cell about biomolecular condensates and cancer https://www.cell.com/cancer-cell/fulltext/S1535-6108(20)30610-3#.X_cubHVqnec.twitter
Biomolecular condensates and cancer

Malignant transformation is characterized by dysregulation of diverse cellular processes that have been the subject of detailed genetic, biochemical, and structural studies, but only recently has...

https://www.cell.com/cancer-cell/fulltext/S1535-6108(20)30610-3#.X_cubHVqnec.twitter
It's also worth highlighting recent stories by other writers about biomolecular condensates. First up, a wonderful story for @KnowableMag by @lalakat https://knowablemagazine.org/article/living-world/2020/what-is-liquid-liquid-phase-separation
Tiny liquid droplets are driving a cell biology rethink

A recently recognized biophysical feature in the fluid of living cells has biologists thinking afresh about how cells carve up their space

https://knowablemagazine.org/article/living-world/2020/what-is-liquid-liquid-phase-separation
And the inimitable @philipcball's story for @ChemistryWorld about how condensates regulate gene expression and cell fate https://www.chemistryworld.com/features/how-does-a-cell-know-what-kind-of-cell-it-should-be/4012667.article
How does a cell know what kind of cell it should be?

Philip Ball investigates how cells use condensed 'blobs' to collect the molecules involved in regulating genes

https://www.chemistryworld.com/features/how-does-a-cell-know-what-kind-of-cell-it-should-be/4012667.article
and @ElieDolgin's excellent 2018 @NatureNews feature about phase separation https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-03070-2
What lava lamps and vinaigrette can teach us about cell biology

Like oil in water, the contents of cells can segregate into droplets. It’s called phase separation, and biologists are seeing it everywhere.

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-03070-2
It's an exciting, quickly moving field, and there will be lots more to learn!!
You can follow @vcallier.
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