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CPP: Fachverband Chemische Physik und Polymerphysik

CPP 45: Focus Session: Theoretical Modeling and Simulation of Biomolecular Condensates I (joint session CPP/BP)

CPP 45.3: Talk

Thursday, March 12, 2026, 10:15–10:30, ZEU/0260

Phase Separation of a Nucleator in a Self Straining Active Filament Network — •Jakob Schindelwig¹, Quentin Bodini-Lefranc^{1, 2}, and Sebastian Fürthauer¹ — ¹Institute of Applied Physics, TU Wien, Lehargasse 6, 1060 Vienna, Austria — ²Ecole polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, Route de Saclay, 91120 Palaiseau, France

Many membraneless compartments of cells, such as stress-granules, form via liquid-liquid phase separation. In cells many compartments of the same type and similar sizes can coexist. Since this is inconsistent with equilibrium phase separation physics, we ask if active mechanics could explain this observation. We develop a model coupling dynamics of the droplet material to an active self-straining filament network. This model shows (i) arrested coarsening , (ii) oscillations, (iii) scale selection. We establish that our model is physiologically plausible by comparing to recent work on a phase separating nucleator of actin.

Keywords: Arrested Coarsening; Condensates; Filament Network; Active Mechanics; Self Straining