Advances in Biomolecular Condensates: From Disease Therapy to Synthetic Biology

Biomolecular condensates (BMCs) are membraneless organelles (MLOs) formed by liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of biomolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids (NAs). They are widely present in organisms and participate in key life processes such as gene transcription regulation. Its dynamic, environmental responsiveness and selective enrichment capabilities lay the foundation for biomedical and engineering biology applications and can be used as innovative targets for new drug research and disease treatment, for building bioreactors, and for developing intelligent biomaterials as well as delivery systems. At present, the related research is converted into various frontier applications, especially providing new intervention strategies for previously undruggable targets. This paper reviews the latest breakthroughs, technical challenges, and future directions from the perspective of frontier applications.