We assessed the formation of droplets in elastic gels using a new model in a recent publication in PNAS. In our study, we simulated how environmental factors such as temperature influence the size of oil droplets in elastic matrices. Our study will also help understanding droplet formation in biological cells, where biological molecules self-organize in condensates.

Our paper on modeling active droplets has been published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface. In this work, we identify the minimal ingredients to control droplets via chemical reactions. Prime examples for such regulation are biomolecular condensates in cells.

This week, Soft Matter accepted two of our manuscripts for publication. Both papers investigate how an elastic environment affects the dynamics of many droplets. In particular, they reveal details about elastic ripening, which is the coarsening process driving droplets towards soft regions.