Dr. Sheu-Gruttadauria is investigating the assembly and function of an important but poorly understood class of cellular compartments called membrane-less organelles. Classically, cellular activities are efficiently organized in membrane-bound compartments. Membrane-less organelles utilize newly discovered mechanisms for molecular organization that allow them to function in the absence of a membrane. Disruption of membrane-less organelles is a hallmark of many cancers, but how they are structured and regulated is a mystery. Dr. Sheu-Gruttadauria aims to determine how the unique assembly features of these important cellular structures contribute to biological function and how they may be co-opted to drive cancer growth.