SEMINAR 2025
Active organization of the cell nucleus
| Speaker | Andriy Goychuk, Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Date/Time | Tuesday, 6 May, 3pm |
| Location | S11-02-07 |
| Moderator | Prof Yan Jie |
Abstract
The human cell nucleus contains roughly two meters of DNA, packed together with proteins that have different functions. Virtually all nuclear functions including gene transcription, splicing, and ribosomal assembly, involve biomolecular condensates that form via phase separation and compartmentalize different chemical reactions. First, I will describe theoretical and experimental evidence that the active transcription of RNA, a key regulator of condensate formation and dissolution, influences condensate patterning. I will then present theoretical work that shows how generic design principles of chemically active droplets can mimick living matter by giving rise to dynamic states such as self-propulsion. Finally, I will discuss how nonequilibrium fluctuations that arise from chemical reactions or condensate motion can potentially contribute to genome organization. These results highlight the intertwined physics and chemistry underlying structure and function in living matter.
Biography
Dr. Andriy Goychuk is an EMBO Postdoctoral Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He joined MIT after completing his PhD in Physics at the Ludwig-Maximilian-University of Munich. Dr. Goychuk applies and develops theoretical modeling based on biophysics, statistical mechanics, fluid mechanics, and nonlinear dynamics, to study biological phenomena. His research ranges from the collective dynamics of cells down to the dynamics of proteins, with a current focus on organization within the cell nucleus to bridge these different scales.