Dresden 2026 – wissenschaftliches Programm
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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 45.5: Vortrag
Donnerstag, 12. März 2026, 10:45–11:00, ZEU/0260
Positive feedback in chemically active droplets — •Xi Chen1, Jens-Uwe Sommer1,2, and Tyler Harmon1 — 1Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research, Dresden, Germany — 2Dresden University of Technology
Biomolecular condensates are dynamic compartments that can be maintained far from equilibrium by active chemical reactions. Active condensates can be driven by phase-dependent reaction fluxes, for example via localized enzymatic activity, and thereby exhibit emergent behaviors that cannot be realized in equilibrium condensates. We analyzed condensates with positive feedback between phase separation and reactions: droplets enhance reactions, and the resulting products stabilize the droplets. We show that this feedback produces pronounced hysteresis, making droplets resilient to cellular fluctuations. We show the hysteresis persists across a broad range of reaction schemes and parameter choices, indicating that it is a robust feature of droplets with positive feedback. Condensates that form to satisfy transient cellular needs may benefit from such hysteresis, because it ensures that they persist long enough to carry out their functions despite fluctuating conditions.
Keywords: Phase separation; Active chemical reactions; Biomolecular condensates; Nonequilibrium thermodynamics