Bioinspired reaction microenvironments based on aqueous phase coexistence
Biological cells are highly organized with numerous subcellular compartments, many of which lack membranous boundaries. Membraneless organelles can form by liquid-liquid phase separation, which is a common phenomenon in aqueous solutions of macromolecules. Solutes such as ions, small molecules, and biopolymers then partition among the phases while larger structures such as biomolecular assemblies often assemble at interfaces. The result is chemically and physically distinct microenvironments that can impact reaction locations, rates, and outcomes. Inspired by the importance of microcompartmentalization in living cells, we are developing simple artificial systems that use liquid-liquid phase coexistence to generate and maintain distinct microenvironments within microscale droplets. Such model systems are of interest for understanding biological cells, their prebiotic ancestors, and their artificial analogues, as well as offering potential applications as bioreactors. Through these types of studies, we hope to gain understanding and control over the underlying physicochemical processes that dictate reaction progression and products, including bioinspired production of designer materials.
Bio: Christine D. Keating received her B.S. in biology and chemistry from St. Francis College (Loretto, PA) in 1991 and her Ph.D. in chemistry from the Pennsylvania State University in 1997. Her postdoctoral research was also at Penn State, and she joined the faculty there in 2001. Keating is currently the Shapiro Professor of Chemistry at the Pennsylvania State University and is affiliated with the Materials Research Institute and the Huck Institute for Life Sciences. She has been honored as a Sloan Research Fellow, Beckman Young Investigator, Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar, and Unilever Outstanding Young Investigator in Colloid and Surfactant Science. Keating was named the Bodil Schmidt Nielsen Fellow & Bioengineer in Residence at Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory in 2010, a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2014, and a PSU Faculty Scholar Medal in Life and Health Sciences in 2017. In 2024, she received the Langmuir Lectureship Award, and in 2025 was named a Whitman Fellow at the Marine Biological Laboratory. Keating serves on the Scientific Advisory Board for the Charles E. Kaufman Foundation, and as a Senior Editor for Journal of Physical Chemistry. She has published over 140 scientific articles. Her research interests combine materials science, colloid chemistry, and cell biology.