Publications

Membraneless organelles, also known as biomolecular condensates, lack a surrounding membrane and are formed through liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). This process enhances reaction efficiency by compartmentalizing and concentrating reactants. Coacervates, a class of condensates, provide promising synthetic alternatives for improving enzymatic reactions. This review examines how LLPS enhances reaction efficiency in both natural and artificial systems, explores the design principles of coacervate-based artificial organelles employed in (bio)catalysis, and discusses challenges and future directions for leveraging LLPS in catalysis.

JTD Keywords: Acid, Activation, Catalysis, Coacervates, Compartmentalization, Droplets, In-vitro, Liquid-liquid phase separation, Membraneless organelles, Microdroplets, Nitric-oxide, Origins, Rna catalysis, Signaling molecules, Transition

Since their invention about two decades ago, super-resolution microscopes have become a method of choice in cell biology. Owing to a spatial resolution below 50 nm, smaller than the size of most organelles, and an order of magnitude better than the diffraction limit of conventional light microscopes, superresolution microscopy is a powerful technique for resolving intracellular trafficking. In this review we discuss discoveries in endocytosis and phagocytosis that have been made possible by super-resolution microscopy – from uptake at the plasma membrane, endocytic coat formation, and cytoskeletal rearrangements to endosomal maturation. The detailed visualization of the diverse molecular assemblies that mediate endocytic uptake will provide a better understanding of how cells ingest extracellular material.

JTD Keywords: Endocytosis, Endosomes, Organelles, Super-resolution microscopy, Trafficking