Biomolecular Condensates in Dresden

In 2009, a study from Dresden published in Science described for the first time the liquid-like properties of P-granules in the embryos of Caenorhabditis elegans. P-granules and other membraneless organelles were later termed ‘Biomolecular Condensates’ in a 2017 paper in Nature. The discovery of biomolecular condensates has revolutionized our understanding of cellular spatiotemporal organization and functions. It is now clear that the cytoplasm and nucleoplasm are not simply containers for enzymes, proteins, and other biological molecules, but rather, the cellular interior is highly organized in both space and time.