Biomolecular condensate phase diagrams with a combinatorial microdroplet platform

Publikation: Beitrag in FachzeitschriftForschungsartikelBeigetragenBegutachtung

Beitragende

  • William E. Arter - , University of Cambridge (Autor:in)
  • Runzhang Qi - , University of Cambridge (Autor:in)
  • Nadia A. Erkamp - , University of Cambridge (Autor:in)
  • Georg Krainer - , University of Cambridge (Autor:in)
  • Kieran Didi - , University of Cambridge (Autor:in)
  • Timothy J. Welsh - , University of Cambridge (Autor:in)
  • Julia Acker - , University of Cambridge (Autor:in)
  • Jonathan Nixon-Abell - , University of Cambridge (Autor:in)
  • Seema Qamar - , University of Cambridge (Autor:in)
  • Jordina Guillén-Boixet - , Professur für Zelluläre Biochemie (Autor:in)
  • Titus M. Franzmann - , Professur für Zelluläre Biochemie (Autor:in)
  • David Kuster - , Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (Autor:in)
  • Anthony A. Hyman - , Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (Autor:in)
  • Alexander Borodavka - , University of Cambridge (Autor:in)
  • Peter St George-Hyslop - , University of Cambridge, University of Toronto, Columbia University (Autor:in)
  • Simon Alberti - , Professur für Zelluläre Biochemie (Autor:in)
  • Tuomas P.J. Knowles - , University of Cambridge (Autor:in)

Abstract

The assembly of biomolecules into condensates is a fundamental process underlying the organisation of the intracellular space and the regulation of many cellular functions. Mapping and characterising phase behaviour of biomolecules is essential to understand the mechanisms of condensate assembly, and to develop therapeutic strategies targeting biomolecular condensate systems. A central concept for characterising phase-separating systems is the phase diagram. Phase diagrams are typically built from numerous individual measurements sampling different parts of the parameter space. However, even when performed in microwell plate format, this process is slow, low throughput and requires significant sample consumption. To address this challenge, we present here a combinatorial droplet microfluidic platform, termed PhaseScan, for rapid and high-resolution acquisition of multidimensional biomolecular phase diagrams. Using this platform, we characterise the phase behaviour of a wide range of systems under a variety of conditions and demonstrate that this approach allows the quantitative characterisation of the effect of small molecules on biomolecular phase transitions.

Details

OriginalspracheEnglisch
Aufsatznummer7845
FachzeitschriftNature communications
Jahrgang13
Ausgabenummer1
PublikationsstatusVeröffentlicht - 21 Dez. 2022
Peer-Review-StatusJa

Externe IDs

PubMed 36543777
ORCID /0000-0003-4017-6505/work/147143313