RNA molecules in living cells form what look like liquid droplets formed by liquid/liquid phase separation. But unlike the molecules in conventional phase separating mixtures, RNA molecules are transported by molecular motors that consume energy and so are out of equilibrium. Motivated by this we study models with out-of-equilibrium dynamics that depend on the local density. Our simulations suggest that density-dependent dynamics in which the motion of a molecule slows down in the presence of nearby molecules , tend to cause condensation into an out-of-equilibrium liquidstate. This out-of-equilibrium state behaves like a liquid in the sense that it coexists with a much more dilute phase, droplets coalesce, and the state has a well-defined surface tension --- which we calculate. Liquid /liquid separation appears to be a very general phenomenon that occurs in and out of equilibrium . We also look at the analogous separation of the two blocks of a block copolymer, in which the monomers of one block have dynamics that depend on the local density of monomers of that block. We find that this block condenses and separates from the monomers of the other block. This is a simple model of the out-of-equilibrium domain formation found in the chromatin in the nucleus of cells.
RNA molecules in living cells form what look like liquid droplets formed by liquid/liquid phase separation. But unlike the molecules in conventional phase separating mixtures, RNA molecules are transported by molecular motors that consume energy and so are out of equilibrium. Motivated by this we consider what sort of simple rules for the dynamics of model mRNA molecules lead to liquid /liquid phase separation. We find that dynamics that slow as the local density of molecules increases, drive the formation of liquids . We also look at the analogous separation of the two blocks of a block copolymer, in which the monomers of one block have dynamics that depend on the local density of monomers of that block. We find that this block condenses and separates from the monomers of the other block. This is a simple model of the out-of-equilibrium domain formation found in the chromatin in the nucleus of cells.
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study models with out-of-equilibrium dynamics that depend on the local density. Our simulations suggest that density-dependent dynamics in which the motion of a molecule slows down in the presence of nearby molecules , tend to cause condensation into an out-of-equilibrium liquidstate. This out-of-equilibrium state behaves like a liquid in the sense that it coexists with a much more dilute phase, droplets coalesce, and the state has a well-defined surface tension --- which we calculate. Liquid
consider what sort of simple rules for the dynamics of model mRNA molecules lead to liquid
R
separation appears to be a very general phenomenon that occurs in and out of equilibrium
phase separation. We find that dynamics that slow as the local density of molecules increases, drive the formation of liquids