Talks

The calm of the quiescent sky is regularly interrupted by bursts of light that can outshine the entire galaxy. These powerful explosions are associated with mergers of compact objects, the collapse of stars, and rapidly accreting black holes, where gravitational binding energy is released and efficiently converted into radiation. The advent of electromagnetic time-domain surveys, high-energy telescopes, and gravitational-wave detectors is unveiling how matter works at these extreme conditions, offering insight into fundamental questions such as: How do compact objects form and acquire their magnetic fields? Which mechanisms launch outflows and jets? What determines the nature of the remnants they leave behind?  What are the main sites of heavy-element production?

Compartmentalization plays a crucial role in orchestrating complex biochemical reactions within cells through the presence of both large membrane-bound organelles and smaller, dynamic nucleic acid-protein condensates. In higher eukaryotic cells, numerous RNA-binding proteins possess extensive disordered domains, rendering them susceptible to phase separation on interaction with RNA and forming dynamic liquid-like condensates. Many of these RBPs aggregate in ageing-associated neurodegenerative conditions like ALS and FTD. Our previous work has demonstrated that high nuclear RNA concentration keep aggregation prone RBPs in soluble state. Our studies have shown that global RNA metabolism in neurodegeneration and ageing conditions control the phase behavior and properties of the RNA-RBP condensates mainly stress granules.