Biomolecular condensate interactions with the membrane in a dynamic membrane system (DC05)

Cellular membranes have no ‘fixed’ lipid composition, but instead are highly dynamic, through insertion of newly synthesized lipids, but also remodelling of already existing lipids. In this way, cellular membranes can adapt to, for example, environmental changes. In recent years, the lab has managed to enzymatically synthesize novel lipids from simple building blocks and insert them into a liposomal model system. As a consequence, liposomal membrane expansion was observed, which is a mimic of synthetic cellular growth. Although this is an important break-through, additional steps are now needed to create synthetic membranes that mimic more natural cellular conditions. In this project we will now focus on adding cellular crowding to our growing membrane system by introducing specific condensates. 

First, we will assess the influence of, for example, membrane charge, expansion and packing, on the stability of the condensate-vesicle complex, while the membrane is expanding, which will advance our general understanding. Secondly, we plan to introduce membrane remodelling through environmental stimuli, thereby creating an advanced synthetic mimic of a native cellular membrane.

This project will include secondments at the University of Leuven (KU) in Belgium (Casadevall i Solvas group), the University of Nijmegen (RU) in the Netherlands (Spruijt group), and the Berlin branch of Nature Communications.