קולוקוויום בביה"ס למדעי המחשב - Liquid Phase Separation in Living Cells: Structure, Computational Models, and Design

Abstract:

Biomolecular condensate formation by phase separation has emerged as a new principle to explain the dynamic organization of living cells. In particular, aberrant forms of phase separation are associated with several human diseases, including neurodegeneration, cancer, and viral infections. A critical goal is to provide a predictive understanding of how these condensates work in concert across spatial and temporal scales to orchestrate complex cellular behaviors. 
In this talk, I will discuss our discovery of an essential bacterial membraneless organelle (MLO), defined by aggregation of the conserved disordered protein PopZ. I will show that the PopZ MLO is formed by phase separation and modulates asymmetric division by selectively sequestering regulatory pathways in the bacterium Caulobacter crescentus. Next, I will present cryo-electron tomography data and analysis of the PopZ MLO in bacteria and discuss outstanding computational challenges. Finally, I will demonstrate engineering the PopZ protein to act as a synthetic MLO in human cells with exciting basic science and therapeutic applications. 

Bio:

Keren Lasker is a Life Science Research Foundation Fellow at Stanford University, working with Prof. Lucy Shapiro. Keren develops computational and experimental tools to reveal the design principles of cellular organization in simple organisms and use this information to engineer adaptable cells in complex organisms. Keren earned her B.Sc. in Mathematics and Computer Science and her M.Sc. in Computer Science from Tel Aviv University. As a Clore Scholar, she then continued her studies at TAU towards a Ph.D. degree, working with TAU Prof. Haim Wolfson and UCSF Prof. Andrej Sali on the development of methods to analyze single-particle cryo-electron microscopy density maps. Keren is the recipient of Stanford Systems Biology Seed Grant Award, Life Sciences Research Foundation postdoctoral fellowship, Weismann Institute of Science - National Postdoctoral Award for Advancing Women in Science, EMBO Long-Term Fellowship for Postdoctoral Research, Charles Clore Foundation Fellowship for Ph.D. Students, and Edmond J. Safra Scholarship for Bioinformatics Studies.