Inside Condensates: How molecular structure shapes condensate material properties
Official title: Inside Condensates: Bridging molecular structure and condensate material properties through simulation
Funded at Princeton University · NIH-11389408 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A research project at Princeton will use computer models to understand how proteins and nucleic acids inside cell blobs called condensates influence health and disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Princeton University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Princeton, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $410,000 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM155259-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11389408 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are patients with cancers, communicable diseases, or degenerative neurological disorders linked to condensate biology, who may benefit from future translational insights.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without condensate-related diseases or those not participating in any future translational steps may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project aims to build and refine simulation models that link the detailed structures of biomolecules inside condensates to the overall material behavior of these compartments. By integrating experimental data with advanced computer simulations, the team hopes to reveal how folded and disordered regions of molecules contribute to condensate dynamics. The result could provide a clearer picture of how condensates relate to conditions like cancer and degenerative neurological disorders. The work is designed to be efficient and scalable, addressing a major bottleneck in studying these complex systems.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Better understanding of condensate biology could accelerate development of therapies targeting diseases where condensates play a role.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work shows that data-integrated computer models can reproduce experimental results for disordered proteins in condensates, supporting this approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Princeton University
Princeton, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Joseph, Jerelle Aurelia — Princeton University
- Study coordinator: Joseph, Jerelle Aurelia
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.