Why it is (also) an artistic question to look into biocondensates in cells
During my residency at the Banerjee Laboratory at the University at Buffalo and the COALESCE Center for Biological Arts, I delved into the intersection of art and science, focusing on the aesthetic and artistic implications of biocondensates and their research. My previous work explored the architecture of matter through physics and chemistry, questioning why fundamental components like atoms and molecules organize into living or inert forms. This inquiry now extends into the realm of biological materials, bridging my interest in the origin of life with new scientific insights gained at the lab.
At the Banerjee Lab, I engaged with the study of biocondensates—dynamic, membraneless organelles formed through liquid-liquid phase separation. Unlike conventional organelles bound by membranes, these condensates emerge from weak, reversible interactions among proteins, nucleic acids, and other biomolecules. Their dynamic nature, constantly forming and dissolving in response to environmental conditions, reflects a life-like behavior even though they are not classified as “alive” in the traditional sense. This blurring of the boundary between the living and non-living resonated deeply with my artistic practice, making me question how we define life and organize knowledge around material phenomena.
One aspect of biocondensate research that fascinated me was the role of Brownian motion in these structures. Brownian motion, the random movement of particles suspended in a fluid, is influenced by various factors such as temperature and viscosity. In the context of biocondensates, the viscosity of these liquid-like droplets can be determined looking at their brownian motions. High viscosity leads to slower, more constrained movements, while low viscosity allows for rapid and freer diffusion of particles. Observing these movements through the lens of viscosity allowed me to see biocondensates not just as biochemical entities but as dynamic, aesthetic systems that embody complex information flows and material transformations.
Here, I found the connection of art, aesthetics, and the elements looked at in biocondensates behaviour. To research biocondensates becomes an artistic, aesthetic, perception process.
The scientific investigation of Brownian motion in biocondensates involves precise measurement and visualization techniques to capture the trajectories of particles within these organelles. The irregular paths traced by molecules under the influence of Brownian motion are not merely random; they reveal information about the internal environment of the condensates, such as their viscosity and structural organization. These intricate trajectories embody a form of “sensible knowledge,” aligning with the aesthetic concept of aisthesis, which involves perceiving and interpreting the world through the senses. From this perspective, the study of Brownian motion becomes an aesthetic inquiry into how matter moves, interacts, and organizes itself—a fundamental question that transcends the boundaries of art and science.
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