We examine various material properties of condensates and show they can be interpreted using critical phenomena theory, specifically the water–vapor transition. This universality enables predictions of condensate material properties and new experimental approaches for assessing cellular physiology.
Our second Cornell-era preprint is also out!
Kaarthik's paper discusses the gap between cellular and in vitro condensates. In cells, condensates are low-contrast (small partition coefficients), enabling a wide range of responses.
Congrats, Kaarthik and the team!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
The manuscript discusses that the dilute-phase response contains rich information about what holds condensates together, and how to use it to modulate their phase behavior. We also provide the theory regarding this response, with details in the SI.
Great work, @takumimatz.bsky.social!
Happy to share our first preprints from work originating at Cornell!
Takumi's paper describes how small molecules shift phase equilibria of condensates by focusing on the dilute-phase response. It shows how metabolites may tune stability and material properties.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
Alexandre’s manuscript, “Polymerization from Lipid Membranes,” is now published in Biomacromolecules!
Congratulations to Alexandre and the team!
The paper describes how to grow polymer brushes directly from one side of lipid bilayers by incorporating an ATRP initiator
pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10....
Don't forget to check out his lab website!😎
xlift.org
Lab News: "Softliv Alum(!) Nan Launches the LIFT Lab at NTU"
sites.coecis.cornell.edu/softliv/news...
Happy to announce that Dr. Nan Xue, our lab alumnus, has just launched a new lab at NTU, Singapore!
Congrats on this new chapter of your career, Nan!
His lab will explore the exciting intersection of soft matter and living systems, and is actively recruiting two PhD students!
xlift.org/openings/
Apply here:
🔗 dwi.jobs.personio.de/job/2420123?...
🔗 dwi.jobs.personio.de/job/2420134?...
(Some student out there is about to get an incredible mentor.)
Interested in research on soft and biological materials in Germany?
Our lab alumnus Lotta is starting her own group at RWTH Aachen 🎉Huge congrats, Lotta!
Her lab will focus on soft and biological materials towards biomedical and sustainable applications, and she’s looking for motivated PhD students!
Huge thanks to the amazing organizers and participants who made the meeting so inspiring! See you all in two years!
Two weeks ago the Softliv crew was at the 2025 Soft Condensed Matter GRC! 🍃
We shared our ongoing research, learned a ton from the community, and enjoyed many energizing discussions.
A highlight was reconnecting with our amazing lab alumni — nothing beats mixing science with good company! 💡👥
The pleasure was mutual! Lots more science to do!
In collaboration with @zwickergroup.bsky.social, @amurugan.bsky.social and Charlotta Lorenz
🚨 New preprint!
Could living cells use phase transitions to process information?
We explore computational aspects of biomolecular condensation — from classification to control — while posing questions on expressivity (problems they solve) and learning (how they adapt).
📄 arxiv.org/abs/2507.23384
New ChemRxiv preprint!
Check out this preprint to learn how to grow thick, dense polymer brushes directly from lipid membranes. The study offers new tools for glycocalyx mimicking and biomedical applications.
Congrats to Alex and the rest of co-authors!
chemrxiv.org/engage/chemr...
New preprint on the thermodynamics of phase separation! arxiv.org/pdf/2506.08958 Congratulations to @carlaferi.bsky.social and all co-authors!
Harsha and Kaarthik led a vibrant workshop for 7th–10th graders as part of Expanding Your Horizons, exploring the science of color through pigments, scattering, and structures! 🌈🔬
Read more here: sites.coecis.cornell.edu/softliv/news...
#STEM #ScienceEducation #ExpandingYourHorizons
Attending #MRS2025? Senthil presents Polymerization-Induced Elastic Microphase Separation—enabling tunable bicontinuous structures via controlled phase separation.
🔬Phase Separation via Controlled Chain-Growth to Tailor Bicontinuous Monoliths
📅Apr 7, 2025 | 🕑 2:00–2:15 PM
📍Summit, Level 3, Room 324
🔹Kaarthik: Biomolecular condensates near the critical point
🗓️Mon, Mar 17 |⏰8:36 am–8:48 am
📌Anaheim Hilton, Pacific A, Session MAR-A58
🔹Eric: Phase-Separated Droplets Swim to Their Dissolution
🗓️Thu, Mar 20 |⏰11:30 am–12:06 pm
📌Anaheim Hilton, Pacific D, Session MAR-S61
Attending #APSSummit25?
Check out our lab's latest work on biomolecular condensates, presented by Kaarthik and Eric—covering critical phenomena, swimming droplets, and more! Come say hi 👋
📍Details below👇 #APSMarch #biophysics #condensates #activeDroplets @apsphysics.bsky.social
📌 Poster Session – What is the Structure of a Biomolecular Condensate?
👩🔬 Presenter: Charlotta Lorenz
🗓 Date: Tuesday, February 18, 2025
📍 Location: West Exhibit Hall
📌 Session: Condensates: Physical Properties and Modeling III
🔍 Board Number: B180
📌 Talk – What is the Structure of a Biomolecular Condensate?
👩🔬 Presenter: Charlotta Lorenz
🗓 Date: Tuesday, February 18, 2025
⏰ Time: 9:45 AM
📍 Location: Room 502A
📌 Session: Condensates: From Properties to Physiology and Disease III
📌 Poster Session – Client Competition Modulates Partitioning in Biomolecular Condensates
👩🔬 Presenter: Tegan Bate
🗓 Date: Monday, February 17, 2025
⏰ Time: 1:45 PM – 3:45 PM
📍 Location: West Exhibit Hall
📌 Session: Condensates: Physical Properties and Modeling II
🔬 BPS 2025 is Around the Corner!
Teagan and Lotta will each be presenting their work on client partitioning in biomolecular condensates and their supramolecular structures! Join us for exciting discussions on the physical properties and organization of biomolecular condensates.
New publication announcement! 📢
🔍 Not all biomolecular condensates are simple droplets. 🔍
Bik1, a key microtubule plus-end tracking protein in budding yeast, forms condensates that aren’t uniform liquids but fluid fractal networks.
🔗 nature.com/articles/s41...
Congrats to all co-authors!🎉
It is lovely to kick off our journey on Bluesky.
We are looking forward to sharing our science on this platform and are excited to engage with scientists around the world! 🌎
Hello Bluesky 🌎
