SRP-Onderzoekszwaartepunt: Optical and microfluidic tools to unravel the dynamics of bio-condensates

Building on our prior experience with an SRP Growth funding project, we plan to combine state-of-the-art microfluidic approaches and optical detection for studying the phenomenon of biological condensation. We aim to develop novel chip designs for i) manipulating and visualizing sub-µm particles, ii) creating special mixing regimes for studying equilibrium transient phenomena, and iii) observing nucleation phenomena on the surface or within droplets. These tools will help us to gain fundamental insight into the formation and evolution of liquid condensates and aggregates of proteins (e.g. TDP-43, hnRNP A2) related to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at the single-particle level. The synergy arising from this multidisciplinary approach will have a broad impact on various application domains. Not only will it provide a better understanding of the phenomenon of phase separation creating membraneless organelles (MLOs) in biology, it will also result in the development of generic microfluidic tools that can be used in studying a broad range of chemical and biological problems. Further, given the biomedical relevance of the molecular transitions under study, the novel insight will also foster the development of novel therapeutic approaches for treating age-related disorders.