Research Description
Recently, biomolecular condensates formed by phase separation of intrinsically disordered proteins have emerged as key spatial organizers in bacteria that are mostly devoid of membrane bound organelles. The goal of our lab is to understand the physical and chemical mechanisms by which condensates form and function in bacterial cells. Specifically, we use biochemical reconstitution and super-resolution fluorescence microscopy to reveal the role of condensates in rapid adaptation under environmental fluctuations. Our research will enable us to exploit bacterial condensates as a synthetic biology and therapeutic tool and allow for their manipulation using chemical, physical and metabolic cues .