KES2-0092
Polymerization-Induced Condensation
Topic
S2. High-End Characterization/Polymer Physics/Properties
When and Where
Sep 30, 2026
16:25 - 16:50
Room 103
Session Chairs
Dong Woog LEE
Presenter(s)
Joe Patterson (University of California, Irvine)
Co-Author(s)
Abstract
Macromolecular condensates, generated via liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of biological or synthetic components, serve as vital organizational hubs for cellular chemistry. Within the crowded intracellular space, these dynamic liquid assemblies compartmentalize essential processes—including DNA replication, transcription, and translation—to exert precise spatiotemporal control over biochemical reactions by either co-localizing or segregating reagents. While the functional roles of these assemblies are well-documented, directly probing the reciprocal relationship between polymerization and phase separation remains a challenge. To address this, we developed a light-mediated platform utilizing the photoiniferter polymerization of a diblock copolymer. In this system, macromolecular growth directly drives LLPS, triggering spontaneous phase separation as the reaction proceeds. We term this novel strategy Polymerization-Induced Condensation (PICON), offering a robust biomimetic model to investigate the real-time interplay between polymer synthesis and condensate dynamics.
