If You're Not In, You're Out - Conformational Entropy of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins Bars Intruders from Biomolecular Condensates

Explore how conformational entropy of intrinsically disordered proteins prevents intruders from entering biomolecular condensates in this 32-minute conference talk by Ned Wingreen from Princeton University. Delve into the mechanisms cells use to coordinate molecular activity through membrane-less compartments called biomolecular condensates, which play crucial roles in gene expression, signal transduction, and neurotransmission. Learn about the diverse properties of these condensates including their lifetimes, sizes, mechanochemical characteristics, and architectures. Examine the theoretical frameworks and simulation approaches used to describe biomolecular condensates, while discovering new experimental methods for characterizing their functions. Understand the physicochemical principles that shape condensate formation and the challenges in mapping computational and laboratory models to actual cellular condensates. Gain insights into how the emergent physical properties of condensates mediate their biological functions, bridging the gap between molecular interactions and cellular organization through cross-disciplinary perspectives from leading theorists and experimentalists in the field.