Specific gene regulation in space and time through oscillations and liquid-liquid phase separation

Mathias Spliid Heltberg says: “Modern data analysis has transformed how we study life’s complexities. My proposal merges different ways to study the complex machinery of living cells, and by developing new algorithms and applying advanced methods to analyze the data, I aim to obtain new levels of details of the physical mechanisms in the cell.

When we look into the center of a cell, we see proteins gathered in small droplets and showing waves in their concentration profile. To understand how this can emerge, we are using new tools to analyze data and develop new ways to obtain more information from the experiments. With this, the hope is to reveal how droplets and oscillations interact and understand how this can impact cellular function. Last year, I discovered that DNA repair is guided by formation of droplets and oscillations in the concentration of proteins, and with new data analysis I hope to advance this hypothesis. Put in simple terms, my group will use data analysis to solve a puzzle: how cells orchestrate resources in space and time to complete fundamental tasks.”