Phase separation-mediated biological condensate formation is being recognized as a general mechanism for forming broad ranges of cellular organelles that are free of or not enclosed by lipid membranes. Formation of biological condensates has far-reaching implications in understanding operation logistics of cells. In parallel, the concept of biological condensate formation is providing previously unrecognized opportunities for developing therapeutic opportunities for various diseases and for numerous other translational applications. However, despite the explosive expansion in the past decade, the field of biological condensate formation research is still very young. Biological condensates are complex soft matters. The field needs more experts from polymer chemistry, soft matter physics, physical chemistry, etc. to develop and optimize theories underlying biological condensate formation. These theoretical frameworks will in return help to enhance our understanding of how biological condensates regulate cellular functions and to device better strategies for harnessing the phase separation processes for translational applications. This symposium aims to bring leading scientists from broad areas of biological condensate research to communicate current status and future challenges of the field, to discuss how potential cross-disciplinary collaborations may move the field forward, and to explore opportunities of targeting biological condensates for translational purposes.

Meeting Co-Organizer, and Professor of Pharmacology, Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Biomedical Engineering at the University of California, San Diego, Jin Zhang, talks about why you should attend this meeting in the video below:

Excited about the meeting? Check out the speaker highlights: