You are cordially invited to attend the seminar organized by the Department of Chemistry.
Title : Characterization of Model Compartments Based on Aqueous Phase Coexistence and Lipids
Speaker: Fatma Pir Çakmak, Department of Physics, MIT
Date : April 13th, 2021, Tuesday
Time : 17:30
Please contact to the department for the Zoom Meeting information details.
Abstract :
Compartmentalization is a key principle of organizing complex biochemical reactions in the cell. There are organelles that provide compartmentalization through a membrane such as a lysosome for specific functions and reactions. Recent discoveries of different membrane-less organelles indicate that further spatial restriction of biomolecules is achieved through cellular condensation. There is increasing evidence revealing that liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) underlies liquid condensate formation in cells. Membrane-less organelles that lack surrounding membranes could concentrate proteins and nucleic acids and get involved in diverse biochemical and cellular functions. In this talk, I will focus on physicochemical properties membrane-bound and membrane-less organelles as a way of artificial cell mimics in vitro and finally in vivo studies.
Bio:
Dr. Fatma Pir Cakmak obtained her B.Sc and M.Sc. degree in Chemistry from Ihsan Dogramaci Bilkent University, Turkey. Her Master’s thesis work involved synthesis and characterization of BODIPY dyes as biosensors under supervision of Dr. Engin Umut Akkaya. She is the recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship to pursue her PhD degree at Penn State. She was selected for the Student Leadership Award at Penn State for her contributions as an outstanding leader in her research field. She obtained her PhD on compartmentalization models including liquid-liquid phase separation and liposomes. Currently, she is a postdoctoral associate at MIT. Her postdoctoral studies focus on super-resolution imaging of viral RNAs and cellular condensates.