Synchronization of chemical reactions in a population of phase-separated droplets

Collective behaviour refers to the actions and interactions of a group of individuals, which results in emergent patterns and behaviour that cannot be explained by individual actions alone. Examples of this emergent behaviour from complex systems are widespread in physics, ecology and biology and include phase transitions in materials and ant or bee colonies displaying swarm intelligence. How is this possible? A method of communication is universally required for a complex system to exhibit collective behaviour. In this project, we explore whether biomolecular condensates formed via liquid-liquid phase separation could act as a means for collective behaviour to emerge within a cellular environment to enable population-level control of chemical reactions relevant to complex biological processes.

 

If such processes are regulated at the cellular scale by condensates, how is communication possible between spatially distinct condensates? How does this coordinate the behaviour of multiple droplets, resulting in a more predictable and stable outcome of chemical reactions, with specific functions, at the population level? As the mechanisms by which communication and population-level regulation may be possible for in vitro/vivo systems that form droplets have not been explored, this is an exciting opportunity to generate a novel understanding of how complex processes are regulated at the cellular scale. Here we have demonstrated that communication via the dynamic exchange of materials to maintain partition concentrations between the dense phases of individual droplets and the surrounding dilute phase is able to efficiently synchronise chemical clock reactions occurring within the droplets.