Condensates

Blog posts

Transcription factors and chromatin co-condensate and generate forces that alter genomic structure and function

Researchers led by Yael David and Shixin Liu have published a Nature Communications study describing for the first time the mechanisms underlying the co-condensation between transcription factors and DNA. By performing dynamic single-molecule experiments using LUMICKS’ C-Trap® technology, they were able to prove the physiological importance of phase-separated sub-compartments (co-condensates)…

Chenlu Yu7 December 2022

Blog posts

Exploring biomolecular condensate dynamics with the C-Trap^® reveals viscoelastic fluid behavior

In a recent article published in Nature Communications by the group of Huan-Xiang Zhou from the University of Illinois, Dr. Archishman Ghosh and co-workers provided insights into the dynamics of biomolecular condensates. Using LUMICKS’ C-Trap® with a dual-trap optical tweezer configuration they obtained direct evidence showing that phase-separated biopolymer condensates…

Chenlu Yu31 March 2022

C-Trap reveals mechanism of protein-DNA co-condensate formation.

Blog posts

C-Trap^® experiments reveal mechanism of protein-DNA co-condensate formation

In a recent publication in PNAS, researchers from the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG) and the Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE) shed light on how proteins interact with individual DNA molecules to form co-condensates. Using LUMICKS’ C-Trap®, which combines optical tweezers, confocal microscopy, and…

Chenlu Yu16 March 2022

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C-Trap^® experiments reveal how a pioneer transcription factor interacts with DNA to regulate gene expression

Researchers from the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in Dresden, Germany, led by Stephan W. Grill, have shed light on the physical nature of the interaction between the pioneer transcription factor Klf4 (Krüppel-like factor 4) and DNA. Using the C-Trap®, which combines optical tweezers, confocal microscopy…

Chenlu Yu23 February 2022

Blog posts

Researchers investigate the effects of biomolecular droplet structure on fusion times using the C-Trap^®

In a recent publication, researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago used the C-Trap® to study the relationship between structural properties of biomolecular condensates and their fusion times. They found that fusion times, an indicator of condensate density, varies depending on their structural organization. The findings highlight how physical…