HITS Colloquium Anthony Hyman – Phase Separation in Cell Physiology and Disease

by Anthony Hyman, Director General of European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)

Cells must organise thousands of molecules in space and time while remaining dynamic and responsive. Biomolecular phase separation has emerged as one mechanism by which cells achieve this organisation, allowing proteins and nucleic acids to assemble into dynamic, membrane-free compartments. I will discuss how phase separation can generate distinct biochemical environments, how cells regulate the formation and dissolution of condensates, and how these principles help us understand cellular organisation across scales. I will also consider what happens when this regulation fails, and how aberrant phase behaviour can contribute to protein aggregation and disease. More broadly, phase separation provides a framework for asking how the physical properties of molecules are translated into the organisation and function of living cells.

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