journal article·2026-05

Engineering the Liquid‐to‐Solid Transition of Biomolecular Condensates: Molecular Mechanisms, Control Strategies, and Applications

Chengying Yin, Chong Chen, Xinran Yu, Shuqi Wu, Zi Lin, Li Xu, Xuejing Wang

Small· Volume 22· Issue 30
Publisher page

Abstract

ABSTRACT Biomolecular condensates are formed through liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS). They are highly dynamic, membraneless compartments within cells. The liquid‐to‐solid transition (LST) of these condensates plays a central role in regulating cellular physiological functions, maintaining tissue structural stability, and driving disease progression. Engineering LST has emerged as a major research frontier, integrating biophysics, synthetic biology, and materials science. This review systematically outlines the molecular grammar governing LST, key engineering strategies for its spatiotemporal control, and emerging applications in designed biological systems. We further discuss current challenges and future directions for harnessing LST as a design principle in systems chemistry and synthetic biology.
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Research context

OpenAlex topics: RNA Research and Splicing · Nuclear Structure and Function · Plant Molecular Biology Research

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

Earth‐Life Science Institute Institute of Science Tokyo Tokyo Japan

Department of Ultrasound Women's Hospital School of Medicine Zhejiang University Hangzhou China

MediCity Research Laboratory University of Turku Turku Finland

Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education Department of Biomedical Engineering Zhejiang University Hangzhou China

CNRS Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal Université De Bordeaux Pessac France

Department of Anesthesiology and Surgical Intensive Care Unit Xinhua Hospital School of Medicine and School of Biomedical Engineering Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai China

State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes Institute For Personalized Medicine Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai China

School of Life Science and Technology Northwestern Polytechnical University Xi'an Shaanxi China

Funding

Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities · Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

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