South Middlesex Times

Benjamin Schuster, an assistant professor in the Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering at Rutgers University–New Brunswick School of Engineering, is deeply involved in understanding the formation of liquid protein droplets within cells. These droplets, known as biomolecular condensates or membrane-less organelles, play significant roles in cellular organization and response to stress.

Schuster's research, conducted alongside his doctoral student Mayur Barai and colleagues from Texas A&M University and the University of Delaware, was detailed in a recent Nature Chemistry paper. The study sheds light on the behavior of proteins that form these droplets through a process called "liquid-liquid phase separation."

"There's a whole world of activity going on in each living cell," said Schuster. He explained that while traditional organelles are enclosed by membranes, these droplets exist without such boundaries and exhibit dynamic behaviors similar to oil droplets in water.

The research is particularly relevant because these protein droplets may contribute to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's when they transition from a liquid to a solid state. They might also play roles in cancer development and viral replication.

The team focused on intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs), which lack fixed three-dimensional structures. "Imagine that you only know Japanese, and no English," Schuster illustrated. "After spending some time with the book, you might notice that some letters are seemingly more important." This analogy highlights their approach to deciphering the protein sequences responsible for droplet formation.

Their experiments revealed that minor changes in protein sequences could significantly affect droplet formation and properties like viscosity. "Everything in the protein sequence matters," noted Schuster.

This research aims to deepen understanding of cellular biology and aid in developing treatments for diseases involving pathological protein aggregates. It also has potential applications in engineering bioengineered materials and biopharmaceuticals.

Contributors to this study included Shiv Rekhi, Azamat Rizuan, Jeetain Mittal from Texas A&M University, Cristobal Garcia Garcia, and Kristi Kiick from the University of Delaware.

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