biophysics papers | Gist.Science

Biophysics sits at the fascinating intersection where the laws of physics meet the complexity of living systems. This field uses tools like light, electricity, and mechanical forces to decode how cells move, how proteins fold, and how our senses translate the world around us. Rather than just observing biology, biophysicists measure and model life to understand the fundamental machinery that powers every organism.

On Gist.Science, we make these discoveries accessible by curating the latest preprints directly from bioRxiv. Our team processes every new submission in this category, providing both clear, plain-language overviews and detailed technical summaries so readers of all backgrounds can grasp the cutting-edge science. Below are the most recent biophysics papers from bioRxiv, ready for you to explore.

⚛️ biophysics

A DNA deliverer-receiver mechanism for DNA recruitment in phase-separated transcriptional condensates

Using large-scale molecular dynamics simulations, this study reveals that Nanog, Oct4, and Sox2 form phase-separated transcriptional condensates with non-additive, emergent properties where DNA acts as a spatial organizer that enhances Oct4 recruitment, establishing a synergistic "deliverer-receiver" mechanism that adds a new layer of gene expression regulation beyond canonical binding.

Blazquez, S., Yamauchi, M., Terakawa, T.2026-03-11

⚛️ biophysics

Early nascent polypeptide dynamics are coupled to the flexibility of the ribosomal tunnel constriction

This study reveals that the ribosomal tunnel constriction, formed by proteins uL4 and uL22, functions as a dynamic flexible gate that adapts its width in response to nascent polypeptide presence, shifting from transient occlusion to accommodating helical structures, thereby influencing translocation, antibiotic action, and translation regulation.

McGrath, H., Cernekova, M., Kolar, M.2026-03-11

⚛️ biophysics

Structure and conformational dynamics of the Pseudomonas CbrA transceptor

This study elucidates the molecular architecture and conformational dynamics of the Pseudomonas transceptor CbrA by determining its cryo-EM structure, which reveals how the small peptide CbrX stabilizes the SLC5 transporter domain and defines the proton-driven mechanism linking histidine sensing and transport to downstream signaling.

Orlando, M. A., Shah, T., Faber, M. W., Bose, S., Orlando, B. J.2026-03-11

⚛️ biophysics

Traction Force Microscopy with DNA FluoroCubes

This paper introduces FluoroCubes, a novel system of fluorescently labeled DNA nanostructures grafted onto PDMS substrates, which serve as stable, high-density fiducial markers to significantly enhance the spatial resolution and sensitivity of traction force microscopy compared to conventional fluorescent beads.

Mortazavi, A., Jiang, J., Laric, P., Helmerich, D., Seifert, R., Gavrilovic, S., Sauer, M., Sabass, B.2026-03-10

⚛️ biophysics

Coordinated gene expression variability encodes the regulatory state of cells

By combining machine learning, theoretical modeling, and single-cell RNA sequencing data, this study reveals that coordinated cell-wide variability in gene expression serves as a distinct signature of cellular identity and regulatory organization, particularly distinguishing stem and progenitor cells from heterogeneous populations.

Olmeda, F., Dang, Y., Rost, F., Schimmenti, V. M., Di Terlizzi, I., Rulands, S.2026-03-10

⚛️ biophysics

Balanced contractility and adhesion drive polarization in a minimal elastic actomyosin network

This study demonstrates that a minimal elastic actomyosin network, driven solely by the interplay between contractile forces and force-sensitive adhesion turnover, can spontaneously break symmetry and generate directed polarized motion without requiring external cues or complex chemical signaling.

Messi, Z., Raynaud, F., Goehring, N. W., Verkhovsky, A. B.2026-03-10

⚛️ biophysics

Role of desolvation on biomolecular liquid-liquid phase separation

This study develops a coarse-grained model that explicitly incorporates residue-level desolvation energetics to reveal how these forces reshape the thermodynamic landscape and kinetic dynamics of biomolecular liquid-liquid phase separation, offering improved predictions of condensate properties and conformational compaction.

Zhang, K., Peng, Z., Li, W., Wang, W.2026-03-10

⚛️ biophysics

Stearic acid enhances membrane fluidization and peptidoglycan stiffness to promote the stability of Gram-positive bacteria

This study demonstrates that stearic acid promotes the stability and growth of *Staphylococcus epidermidis* by simultaneously fluidizing the lipid membrane and increasing peptidoglycan stiffness, thereby enhancing overall cell envelope integrity.

Parthasarathi, S., Joshi, S. J., Basu, J. K., Vaiwala, R., Ayappa, K. G., Wasker, M., Kumaran, S., Dasgupta, A.2026-03-10

⚛️ biophysics

torch-projectors: A High-Performance Differentiable Projection Library for PyTorch

This paper introduces torch-projectors, a high-performance, differentiable library for Fourier-space projections in PyTorch that significantly accelerates electron microscopy workflows by outperforming existing solutions by 1–2 orders of magnitude across CPU, Apple Silicon, and CUDA devices.

Tegunov, D.2026-03-10

⚛️ biophysics

Intracellular TDP-43 amyloid nucleates from arrested nascent condensates

This study reveals that intracellular TDP-43 amyloid formation specifically nucleates from dynamically arrested nascent condensates of its C-terminal domain, a process that is uniquely enabled by pre-existing amyloid templates and suppressed when condensation progresses beyond this arrested state.

Wu, J., Venkatesan, S., Jensen, J., Miller, T., Lange, J. J., McKinney, S. A., Halldorsson, E., Yu, Z., Babu, V. M., San (…)2026-03-09

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