Physical Review Letters· 2026Q1
Phase separation by polar active transport
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- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
A new theory describes phase separation driven by a third polar species actively sorting two other components, inspired by molecular motors on microtubules.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- Proposes a new theory for phase separation driven by active sorting of components by a third polar species.
- Mechanism is inspired by experiments with molecular motors moving in opposite directions along microtubules.
- Predicts formation of motor domains that can either coarsen or reach a steady-state size.
- Offers a model for spatial organization of biological material within cells.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
We propose an active Cahn-Hilliard theory for the dynamics of a new type of phase transition where the driving force is not the direct interactions between the two separating components, but their active sorting by a third polar species. This third species can transport the other two along its polarity in opposite directions, thus separating them. Inspired by recent experiments where molecular motors that walk in opposite directions along microtubules are sorted into separated domains, our theoretical description of this process introduces a new mechanism for active phase separation and could serve as a model for the organization of biological material in space inside cells. We predict the formation of motor domains, and further show that they can either coarsen to form macroscopic phases or reach a finite micro- or mesoscopic steady state size, these latter due to an arrest of coarsening through activity.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Physical Review Letters, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Cell Biology
Cell BiologyBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology