Single-molecule trajectories of reactants in chemically active biomolecular condensates

Abstract: Biomolecular condensates provide distinct chemical environments, which control various cellular processes. The diffusive dynamics and chemical kinetics inside phase-separated condensates can be studied experimentally by fluorescently labeling molecules, providing key insights into cell biology. We discuss how condensates govern the kinetics of chemical reactions and how this is reflected in the stochastic dynamics of labeled molecules. This allows us to reveal how the physics of phase separation influences the evolution of single-molecule trajectories and governs their statistics. We find that, out of equilibrium, the interactions that enable phase separation can induce directed motion and transport at the level of single molecules. Our work provides a theoretical framework to quantitatively analyze single-molecule trajectories in phase-separated systems.