Susanne Liese - Droplets - Polymers

Susanne Liese is a postdoctoral researcher at University of Augsburg and part of the "mesoscopic physics of life" group. Her research interests lie in wetting phenomena and membrane dynamics within living systems.

Biomolecular condensates, often formed by liquid–liquid phase separation into coacervates, play a central role in organizing cellular biochemistry. These condensates can adopt multiphase architectures, raising fundamental questions about how their morphology and interactions are controlled. We examine this phenomenon using a theoretical framework that describes how surface-active molecules modulate wetting transitions in multiphase coacervates. Our model shows that increasing interfacial protein concentration drives a shift from fully nested to partially wetted architectures. This transition creates exposed coacervate cores that adhere into chain-like assemblies, stabilized by surface tension and resembling semiflexible polymers. The theory captures how local interfacial activity can regulate large-scale organization, providing a general mechanism by which cells may control condensate morphology and connectivity.

 

Published Sep. 2, 2025 10:59 AM - Last modified Oct. 6, 2025 9:22 AM