Biological systems are characterized by their anisotropy that can be effectively understood though the combined perspectives of Chemistry and Biology. Liquid‒liquid phase separation leading to membrane-free organelles has emerged as an important contribution to cellular organization. Experimental and modeling approaches are combined to better understand and manipulate the physical-chemical mechanisms involved in these processes and elucidate how host molecules are recruited in these organelles.[i] Membranes are themselves complex dynamic assemblies of many different molecular partners such as membrane proteins, key actors for internalization, intracellular trafficking or export, though challenging to study due to their large hydrophobic domains.[ii] Innovative artificial membranes can address these difficulties[iii] and aid tomography applications.[iv] Additionally, peptide-oligosaccharide conjugates mimicking peptidoglycan -a key membrane actor and anti-bacterial target-[v] are explored.
[i] Coronas, L. E. et al, J. Phys. Chem. 2014, 160, 215101 (https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0209119).
[ii] a) Pozza, A. et al, Nat. Commun. 2022, 13, 1780 (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-29410-5). b) Glavier, M. et al, Nat. Commun. 2020, 11, 4948 (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-18770-5).
[iii] a) Marconnet, A. et al, Biomacromolecules, 2020, 21, 3459-3467 (https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biomac.0c00929). b) https://www.erganeo.com/en/Polyscope_CubeBiotech_Erganeo
[iv] Royes, J. et al, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed Engl. 2019, 58, 7395–7399 (https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.201902929).
[v] Ma, M. et al, Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(10), 5328 (https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22105328)