Droplets of Life

Vladimir N. Uversky is a Professor at the Department of Molecular Medicine, University of South Florida, USA. He obtained B.S. and M.S. degrees in Physics from Leningrad State University in Russia in 1986, then completed Ph.D. and Doctor of Sciences (D.Sc.) degrees in Physics and Mathematics (field of study - Biophysics) at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (1991) and the Institute Experimental and Theoretical Biophysics of the Russian Academy of Sciences (1998), respectively. In 1998, he moved to the University of California Santa Cruz to study protein folding, misfolding, protein conformation diseases, and protein intrinsic disorder phenomena. In 2004, he was invited to join the Indiana University School of Medicine to primary work on intrinsically disordered proteins, and since 2010 has been on faculty at the University of South Florida. He has authored over 850 scientific publications and edited several books and book series on protein structure.

Part I: Introduction to Membrane-less Organelles and Biomolecular Condensates
1. Biophysical Principles of Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation
2. Major Structural Features of MLOs
3. Multiphase Complex Droplets
4. Biogenesis of MLOs and Protein Condensates
5. Techniques for the Detection and Analysis of LLPS and MLOs
6. LLPS and Origin of Life

Part II: Biology of Membrane-Less Organelles
1. Known Types of Membrane-Less Organelles and Biomolecular Condensates
2. Active Regulation Mechanisms
3. Control of Metabolic Pathways
4. Interactions and Interplay with Classical Membrane-Bound Organelles
5. LLPS and Chromatin Organization
6. MLOs and Cellular Fitness
7. Cellular Stress
8. Phase Separation in Bacteria
9. Phase Separation and Virus Replication Compartments

Part III: Pathological roles of LLPS
1. Neurodegenerative Diseases
2. Cancer
3. Cardiovascular Diseases
4. Infectious Diseases