Clustering changes how charged polymers separate in water, challenging old assumptions
Researchers from the University of Chicago and Freie Universität Berlin have discovered new mechanisms regarding how charged polymers separate in water. This finding challenges long-held assumptions and could improve our understanding of biomolecular condensates in human health and disease.
Why it matters
Advancing the understanding of phase separation at the molecular level is critical for developing new insights into cellular function and disease pathology.
edited by Sadie Harley , reviewed by Robert Egan
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Add to Preferred Sources General mechanism of the liquid–liquid phase separation of highly charged polyelectrolytes. Credit: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2026). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2628217123 A polymer science revelation about how liquid mixtures separate could have major implications for human health, metabolism and disease, new research indicates. In a brief report published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (UChicago PME) Professor Matthew Tirrell and Freie Universität Berlin Professor Matthias Ballauff revealed previously overlooked factors at play in the separation of charged polyelectrolyte polymers in water, challenging assumptions that have dominated the field since the 1950s.
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