Evaluation Statement (30 January 2025)
Kay and Aminzare discuss a claim made in a prior publication that macromolecular condensation acts as a water buffering mechanism in cells to compensate for the effects of osmotic shock. The authors argue that, although such a buffer could temporarily maintain a transmembrane osmolality differential, this differential would drive water across the membrane to reach a steady-state in which osmolality within the cell equals osmolality outside the cell. Using the well-established pump-leak model for osmotic water transport, they further show that the timescale at which a water buffer could maintain a modest 10% osmolality differential across the membrane is at most one minute for a typical animal cell.
Biophysics Colab recommends this study to researchers working on membrane transport, intracellular water buffering, and condensate biology.
Biophysics Colab has evaluated this study as one that meets the following criteria:
- Rigorous methodology
- Transparent reporting
- Appropriate interpretation