P. Schwille

On the annotation of Paleo- and Mesoproterozoic microfossils as fungi

This study challenges the interpretation of Paleo- and Mesoproterozoic microfossils as fungi by showing bacteria can form protoplasts resembling fungal morphology under similar environmental conditions.

Nanoscale structural response of biomimetic cell membranes to controlled dehydration.

This study investigates how lipid membranes reorganize structurally at the nanoscale under varying hydration conditions, revealing reversible changes in lipid phase behavior and physical properties.

Membrane-induced 2D phase separation of focal adhesion proteins

This study investigates how membrane binding triggers phase separation of focal adhesion proteins, leading to integrin enrichment and suggesting a regulatory mechanism for membrane-localized biomolecular condensates.

Crosslinking by ZapD drives the assembly of short FtsZ filaments into toroidal structures in solution

This study shows ZapD crosslinks FtsZ filaments into toroidal structures, revealing how crosslinking density and geometry enable Z ring formation in bacteria.

A phase-separated biomolecular condensate nucleates polymerization of the tubulin homolog FtsZ to spatiotemporally regulate bacterial cell division

The paper shows PomY forms liquid-like condensates that nucleate FtsZ polymerization, guiding bacterial cell division site positioning through surface-assisted condensation.

DNA-PAINT single-particle tracking (DNA-PAINT-SPT) enables extended single-molecule studies of membrane protein interactions

This paper introduces dual-colour DNA-PAINT-SPT for live cell imaging, enabling tracking of membrane protein interactions and dimerisation with improved performance over single-dye SPT.

Mass-Sensitive Particle Tracking to Characterize Membrane-Associated Macromolecule Dynamics

This paper introduces mass-sensitive particle tracking (MSPT) using interferometric scattering microscopy to analyze macromolecule dynamics on lipid membranes, showing it can measure diffusion and molecular mass in real-time.

Structural Diversity of Photoswitchable Sphingolipids for Optodynamic Control of Lipid Raft Microdomains

This study develops photoswitchable sphingolipids to control lipid raft microdomains in model membranes using light-induced isomerization.

Calibration free counting of low molecular copy numbers in single DNA-PAINT localization clusters

This paper introduces lbFCS+, a method to absolutely count molecular copy numbers in DNA-PAINT localization clusters without calibration.

On the nature of the earliest known life forms

This study reconstructs Archaean microfossils by transforming a bacterium into a lipid vesicle-like state, showing they likely represent liposome-like protocells with energy conservation but no morphology regulation.

Hydration layer of only few molecules controls lipid mobility in biomimetic membranes

This study shows that a hydration layer of 6-7 water molecules controls lipid mobility in biomimetic membranes, with significant effects on diffusion and activation energy.

Mass-sensitive particle tracking (MSPT) to elucidate the membrane-associated MinDE reactioncycle

This study introduces MSPT to track and measure molecular masses of MinDE proteins on lipid membranes, revealing new insights into their assembly and dynamics.

ATP driven diffusiophoresis: active cargo transport without motor proteins

The paper demonstrates a non-specific physical mechanism for active cargo transport using the MinDE protein system in E. coli, sorting cargo by size through diffusiophoresis.

Actin crosslinker competition and sorting drive emergent GUV size-dependent actin network architecture

The paper shows that actin crosslinker competition and sorting in confined environments lead to distinct actin network architectures in GUVs.

Molecular-scale visualization of sarcomere contraction within native cardiomyocytes

This study uses cryo-electron tomography to visualize sarcomere contraction in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes, revealing thin filament sliding and structural changes during muscle contraction.

Bidirectional FtsZ filament treadmilling transforms lipid membranes via torsional stress

This study shows FtsZ filaments generate forces via bidirectional treadmilling, causing lipid membrane deformation and constriction in vitro.

Tracking Single Particles for Hours via Continuous DNA-mediated Fluorophore Exchange

This paper introduces a method to track single particles for hours using continuous DNA-mediated fluorophore exchange, overcoming photobleaching limitations.

Design of biochemical pattern forming systems from minimal motifs

The paper designs pattern-forming biochemical systems from minimal motifs by analyzing the MinDE system and showing that adding dimerization or membrane-binding motifs can generate pattern formation.

Myosin-II activity generates a dynamic steady state with continuous actin turnover in a minimal actin cortex

This study reconstitutes a minimal actin cortex with myosin-II activity, showing it drives continuous actin turnover and a dynamic steady state.