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Short Biography
Emma Sparr is a professor of physical chemistry and colloidal biology at Lund University, Sweden. She is the director of the COMMONS Center of Excellence with the overarching aim to provide a multifaceted scientific environment focusing on unifying physicochemical processes of key importance for the function of cellular membranes and their effects on other biomolecules. Emma Sparr has over many years studied lipid membranes, lipid self-assembly and lipid-protein interactions. Her research is focused on applying physical chemistry principles to biological system, and the experimental studies include both well-controlled model systems and biological samples with complex compositions.
AMBER postdoctoral fellowship project (fifth call)
Factors governing biomolecular condensate size
This project aims to develop new methods to monitor liquid-liquid phase separation in complex environments. The challenge will be to find methods to study really small condensates, and to determine whether these are liquid or solid or transition over time. The methods need to be able to quantify diffusion rates inside condensates, as well as distinguishing associative from segregative phase separation and the molecular factors controlling these phenomena. One challenge will be to distinguish metastable states from true equilibria. Another question concerns why condensates in cells seem to halt and not grow (Ostwald ripening and coalescence should be expected for liquid phases). What molecular factors limit the size of such condensate? Methods may include advanced optical and cryo-electron microscopy, scattering- and diffusion-based methods.
Location: Lund, Sweden
Organisation: Lund University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology
Links
Emma Sparr's profile in Lund University Research portal
Physical Chemistry's profile in Lund University Research portal