Zwicker Group
Theoretical biophysics group at MPI-DS, Göttingen. We study the spatiotemporal organization of soft matter in cells, tissues, and synthetic systems; see www.zwickergroup.org
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- Reposted by Zwicker GroupThe EMBO Young Investigator Network consists of young investigators, installation grantees and global investigators. 🧪 Find more information on the individual programmes here: embo.org/the-embo-communitie… #LifeSciences #research #funding
- Reposted by Zwicker GroupDoes targeting enzymes and substrates in a condensate lead to rate enhancement? No. Here, we investigate how the condensate environment can inhibit an enzyme reaction. Spoiler: Mass-transport limitations. We find a strong correlation between diffusion and reaction rates. doi.org/10.64898/202...
- Reposted by Zwicker GroupReally excited to share our new paper in @nature.com! We uncovered how a physical instability of the cytoplasm coupled with the cell cycle drives cytoplasmic partitioning in early embryos #zebrafish #drosophila. Read more in this🧵 www.nature.com/articles/s41... 🤩 @poldresden.bsky.social @mpi-cbg.de
- Reposted by Zwicker GroupYou have a background in math/physics/computer science/ML and are looking for an interdisciplinary postdoc fellowship in life sciences with free choice of host groups? Then join us at the CSBD as an ELBE postdoc! The application deadline is the 13 of March
- Reposted by Zwicker GroupOur Mini Review went online last night in Current Opinion in Genetics & Development "Block copolymer concepts of how transcription organizes the stem cell genome" doi.org/10.1016/j.gd... Fig. 1: Stem cell–typical organization of the genome and transcription, and the block copolymer sorting concept.
- Excited to talk to the Matter to Life community about droplets and life!
- We’re excited to kick off 2026 with a rescheduled talk in the Matter to Life Lecture Series: “Droplets Come to Life” by MtL Fellow David Zwicker @zwickergroup.bsky.social from the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization 🙌 Register here: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
- Reposted by Zwicker GroupHow does protein folding change inside biomolecular condensates? Our new preprint put forwards a framework for predicting this!! 🥳🥳🥳🥳 work by the talented @nathanieldhess.bsky.social
- I am very excited to share our pre-print that was just released on the bioRxiv entitled "Biomolecular Condensates Dictate the Folding Landscape of Proteins" doi.org/10.64898/202... Very grateful for @jerelleaj.bsky.social and the members of the Joseph Group for their support on this project! (1/4)
- Reposted by Zwicker Group"While the concept of condensates is successfully rewriting cell biology textbooks, there is some danger of overhype and backlash." This workshop summary is great - particularly the idea to shift from "Is it a condensate?" to "what problem does that solve?" but "successfully" stood out for me here
- Our "Roadmap for Condensates in Cell Biology" is now available on arXiv: arxiv.org/abs/2601.03677 🎉 This article summarizes the interdisciplinary weekly discussions we had at our condensate workshop at KITP in the summer of 2025. Feedback is very welcome!
- We're looking for a postdoc to strengthen our group! Please apply by January 15, 2026 if you're a fun and motivated person who likes theoretical modeling of biological processes by combining analytics and numerics. There is freedom in choosing projects! Details: www.ds.mpg.de/4110032/job_...
- Since more than a decade, our group has been exploring chemically active droplets, which are exciting since their size can be controlled. Yet, we still do not fully understand this control even in the simplest models. Until a new preprint (arxiv.org/abs/2512.02542) spearheaded by postdoc Guido...
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- Two more pre-prints from the group 🎉 Riccardo explored how cells could control surface condensates by regulating bulk exchange (arxiv.org/abs/2511.03619). Filipe studied the impact of non-local interactions onto phase separation (arxiv.org/abs/2511.05214). Some more details in the thread:
- Our review on the physics of phase separation in cells has been published by Rep. Prog. Phys. 🎉 doi.org/10.1088/1361... We hope that the text and citations are helpful for anyone interested in physical descriptions of condensates in cells!
- We wrote a review on the "Physics of droplet regulation in biological cells": arxiv.org/abs/2501.13639 Beside the basic #physics of phase separation, we discuss three aspects that separate cellular from traditional droplets:
- Another pre-print from our group see's the light of day! 🎉 This time we how the coarsening of droplets is affected by advection and reactions: arxiv.org/abs/2510.00827 @stefankoestler2025.bsky.social describes our surprising findings in the thread below ⤵️
- Our latest work from a stimulating collaboration with @jerelleaj.bsky.social and @nathanieldhess.bsky.social is out now!
- Out now in #ACSMacroLett: we demonstrate how molecular charge asymmetry can control the size of condensates! Work done in collaboration with @zwickergroup.bsky.social!! Theory led by Chengjie Luo and simulations by @nathanieldhess.bsky.social!! pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
- A great example of a totally unplanned discovery in our group, spearheaded by a Bachelor and a PhD student! Curiosity wins 🥳
- New preprint 🎉 What began as Frieder Johannsen’s bachelor thesis in the @zwickergroup.bsky.social (which I had the pleasure to supervise) evolved into our latest paper: “Chemically Active Liquid Bridges Generate Repulsive Forces” — unlike passive ones, which attract. 📄 arxiv.org/abs/2509.18777
- Reposted by Zwicker GroupNew preprint 🎉 What began as Frieder Johannsen’s bachelor thesis in the @zwickergroup.bsky.social (which I had the pleasure to supervise) evolved into our latest paper: “Chemically Active Liquid Bridges Generate Repulsive Forces” — unlike passive ones, which attract. 📄 arxiv.org/abs/2509.18777
- It was fun to do a little interview and think about the relevance of our work for a more experimental and engineering inclined community.
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- In other news, we welcome Mengmeng Wu 🇨🇳 and Lukas Kristensen 🇩🇰 to our group! 🥳 Mengmeng is a postdoc who will combine particle-based simulations with analytical theory to study chemically active droplets. Lukas visits us for three months and will work on anchored active droplets. Welcome aboard! 🎉
- We were exceptionally effective at finishing manuscripts in the last weeks and couldn't keep up with describing pre-prints here. This thread summarizes the main results of our recent works:
- This is a great opportunity to start an independent group in one of the best research environments you could think of!
- Springboard for an international scientific career! 🧬🧪🔭⚛️🧠🌱 Call for #MaxPlanckResearchGroups launched; applications are possible until October 14, 2025 www.mpg.de/max-planck-r... #ScienceCareer
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- Looking forward to discussing our little active droplet theories with students!
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- It was a lot of fun to write this little piece on using phase transitions to process cellular information! We probably pose more questions than we give answers, but that’s exciting.
- Our institute turned 100 years today! We had a fantastic celebration with scientific talks by Howard Stone and Christina Marchetti. 🎉
- This workshop was just exceptional! Thanks to everyone for making it such a success
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- Glad to see our paper out in press! The long delay to publication emphasizes the role of pre-prints, and I'm happy that people were able to read about our ideas years before they appear in a journal.
- Very happy (and frankly relieved) to see this paper finally out in peer-reviewed form. (Preprint was posted in August 2021, but this is the world we live in now). rdcu.be/erMk6
- It's sad that our conference on biomolecular condensates is already over. On the flip side, you can watch almost all talks online to relive the stimulating vibe! Thanks again to all speakers for delivering clear talks, and to the audience for asking great questions!
- The Biological Physics of Biomolecular Condensates: Bridging Theory and Experiment (#biomol-c25) conference has concluded today, but the associated program continues next week! Learn more at buff.ly/Us4nwg3 Watch all conference talks at buff.ly/pksEEXt or on our YouTube channel buff.ly/c3Vzp02 🧪
- Our conference bringing together theorists and experimentalists to discuss biomolecular condensates started today! Looking forward to three intensive days of stimulating discussion.
- Reposted by Zwicker Group@jerelleaj.bsky.social, master painter 👩🏽🎨 of the blackboard 👩🏽🏫, in action! 🤩 She is amazing at capturing the essence of our complex, meandering (and sometimes contentious) discussions @kitp-ucsb.bsky.social
- This was an excellent blackboard presentation of the physics of condensates!
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- It’s been a lot of fun talking about chemically active condensates to such an attentive and motivated crowd!
- We updated our pre-print on equilibria in multicomponent mixtures: arxiv.org/abs/2405.01138 In particular, we added the figure below, which shows that such mixtures exhibit countless metastable states between a metastable homogeneous state and the equilibrium with many phases.
- Reposted by Zwicker GroupBiomolecular condensates are critical for organizing cellular contents, but most studies focus on phase separation driven by salt, pH, or temperature. But what if intracellular movement also matters? Here, we explore motility-induced condensation in the cell. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
- We are so looking forward to the discussions (at the beach?) in Santa Barbara!
- It's finally here! After almost 3 years of planning, I'm thrilled to discover the literal and figurative blue skies @kitp-ucsb.bsky.social @jerelleaj.bsky.social, @zwickergroup.bsky.social, Frank Jülicher and I will kick off our program on biomolecular condensates next week!
