Condensation regulates translation

New insights into the influence of Ded1p condensation on translation comes from the Hyman, Alberti and Kreysing labs. The study published in Cell is entitled "Condensation of Ded1p Promotes a Translational Switch from Housekeeping to Stress Protein Production". Graphical abstract: Abstract: Cells…

Postdoc (m/f/d)

Project Title Origin-of-cellular-Life’ / Out-of-equilibrium biophysical Systems Brief summary Our lab pursues experimental biophysical research. We are interested in the spatiotemporal patterning of living and chemical systems. The lab investigates how the spatial organization of molecules can…

A quick intro to the Physics of Wetting

Water forms droplets on the surface of a leaf but it spreads and completely wets the skin of a snail. Why does water behave so differently on the two surfaces? In this video, we introduce the fundamental concepts of surface tension, contact angle and the difference between hydrophobic and…

How Protein Condensates Age

  Protein condensates are dense droplets of proteins that organise the interior of the cell. Curiously, they age, meaning their physical properties such as viscosity change over time. In our paper "Theory of rheology and aging of protein condensates" published in PRX Life, we study how…

Diving into the Free Energy: Part 1

  Get ready to dive into the Free Energy! Cells can be described as systems made of different phases. For instance, biomolecular condensates are dense droplets of proteins that coexist with the rest of the cytoplasm. Thermodynamics is a helpful theoretical framework to understand phases in…

Diving into the Free Energy: Part 2

  Get ready to dive into the Free Energy! If we want to understand phases in cells we need to talk about the Free Energy of a thermodynamic system. This is the second part of the video “Diving into the Free Energy”. In this video, we will understand how thermodynamic mixtures reach…

CD-Code is now published in Nature Methods

CD-CODE is now published in Nature Methods. It is a “living database” that we designed for fast addition and review of information about condensates and proteins and is open to users and expert researchers who would like to contribute. Join us and visit cd-code! CD code has been a…

Computational Postdoc or PhD student (m/f/d) in protein evolution and biomolecular condensates

The Toth-Petroczy lab is an interdisciplinary research group at MPI-CBG and CSBD that studies protein evolution. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. The Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG) and the Center for Systems…

We are hiring a Software Developer

The Toth-Petroczy lab is an interdisciplinary research group at MPI-CBG and CSBD that studies protein evolution. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. The Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG) and the Center for…

How do single molecules move in and out of condensates?

  Cells organize their interior into functional compartments, some without an enclosing membrane. These dense liquid droplets of biomolecules coexist with the surrounding environment like oil drops in water constantly exchanging material with it. How is the random movement of single…