Giacomo Bartolucci (he)
@gbart.bsky.social
https://giacobarto.github.io/
I love biophysics, jazz, poetry, and activism, especially when mixed together!
Into phase separation, and active nematics.
JdC postdoc at University of Barcelona, previously at MPI PKS Dresden and Uni Augsburg
I love biophysics, jazz, poetry, and activism, especially when mixed together!
Into phase separation, and active nematics.
JdC postdoc at University of Barcelona, previously at MPI PKS Dresden and Uni Augsburg
Pinned
With painted cows and a perfect pasta sauce, ‘Ig Nobel’ winners claim glory
Some of the world’s most imaginative scientific minds have been celebrated at the Ig Nobel awards, which recognize discoveries that make people “laugh, then think.”
www.washingtonpost.com
Still can't believe this: WE WON THE IG NOBEL PHYSICS PRIZE www.washingtonpost.com/science/2025...
Active droplets are fundamental in cell biology and origin of life. With Jonathan Bauermann, @boekhovenlab.bsky.social, Frank Jülicher, and @m-pol.bsky.social, we show that a critical transition influences their size, morphology, ripening and division propensity
journals.aps.org/prx/abstract...
journals.aps.org/prx/abstract...
November 15, 2025 at 11:28 AM
Active droplets are fundamental in cell biology and origin of life. With Jonathan Bauermann, @boekhovenlab.bsky.social, Frank Jülicher, and @m-pol.bsky.social, we show that a critical transition influences their size, morphology, ripening and division propensity
journals.aps.org/prx/abstract...
journals.aps.org/prx/abstract...
Reposted by Giacomo Bartolucci (he)
A biologist at the American Museum of Natural History, Jonathan Coddington, cataloged a new genus of South American spiders in 1986.
Two things about the spider were unique:
they lived in caves & laid cubic eggs.
So he called them genus 'Plato', and that's the nerdiest thing I have read all year.
Two things about the spider were unique:
they lived in caves & laid cubic eggs.
So he called them genus 'Plato', and that's the nerdiest thing I have read all year.
November 11, 2025 at 12:10 PM
A biologist at the American Museum of Natural History, Jonathan Coddington, cataloged a new genus of South American spiders in 1986.
Two things about the spider were unique:
they lived in caves & laid cubic eggs.
So he called them genus 'Plato', and that's the nerdiest thing I have read all year.
Two things about the spider were unique:
they lived in caves & laid cubic eggs.
So he called them genus 'Plato', and that's the nerdiest thing I have read all year.
Reposted by Giacomo Bartolucci (he)
Exciting News! 🥳 Our Epithelial Mechanics Fan Club website is now live! 🎉
👉 epithelialmechanics.github.io
Discover our #EpithelialMechanics threads and get to know our amazing delegates behind them.
Would you like to share your story? Please DM us!
👉 epithelialmechanics.github.io
Discover our #EpithelialMechanics threads and get to know our amazing delegates behind them.
Would you like to share your story? Please DM us!
🎉🎉 We finally have a website! 🎉🎉
Did you miss a thread?
Want to know who our delegates are?
Do you want to join our big club?
Check it out:
epithelialmechanics.github.io
Huge thanks to all thread-contributors and to you for following us!
Did you miss a thread?
Want to know who our delegates are?
Do you want to join our big club?
Check it out:
epithelialmechanics.github.io
Huge thanks to all thread-contributors and to you for following us!
Epithelial Mechanics Fan Club
epithelialmechanics.github.io
October 23, 2025 at 7:21 AM
Exciting News! 🥳 Our Epithelial Mechanics Fan Club website is now live! 🎉
👉 epithelialmechanics.github.io
Discover our #EpithelialMechanics threads and get to know our amazing delegates behind them.
Would you like to share your story? Please DM us!
👉 epithelialmechanics.github.io
Discover our #EpithelialMechanics threads and get to know our amazing delegates behind them.
Would you like to share your story? Please DM us!
Reposted by Giacomo Bartolucci (he)
On cell extrusion in the #intestine!
After 80 years of observations, we finally took a deeper look thanks to 2D #organoids. We report:
3D #forces, #extrusion still only in the villus even without curvature, #lamellipodia generate 3D force.. and more. Have a look!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
After 80 years of observations, we finally took a deeper look thanks to 2D #organoids. We report:
3D #forces, #extrusion still only in the villus even without curvature, #lamellipodia generate 3D force.. and more. Have a look!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
July 4, 2025 at 10:21 AM
On cell extrusion in the #intestine!
After 80 years of observations, we finally took a deeper look thanks to 2D #organoids. We report:
3D #forces, #extrusion still only in the villus even without curvature, #lamellipodia generate 3D force.. and more. Have a look!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
After 80 years of observations, we finally took a deeper look thanks to 2D #organoids. We report:
3D #forces, #extrusion still only in the villus even without curvature, #lamellipodia generate 3D force.. and more. Have a look!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Good news in rough times:
Our work on generalising Lifshitz-Slyosov-Wagner (LSW) theory to active systems, led by the all-mighty Jonathan Bauermann, is out on PRL!! Special thanks to Christoph Weber @m-pol.bsky.social and Frank Jülicher.
doi-org.sire.ub.edu/10.1103/f5x9...
Our work on generalising Lifshitz-Slyosov-Wagner (LSW) theory to active systems, led by the all-mighty Jonathan Bauermann, is out on PRL!! Special thanks to Christoph Weber @m-pol.bsky.social and Frank Jülicher.
doi-org.sire.ub.edu/10.1103/f5x9...
October 3, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Good news in rough times:
Our work on generalising Lifshitz-Slyosov-Wagner (LSW) theory to active systems, led by the all-mighty Jonathan Bauermann, is out on PRL!! Special thanks to Christoph Weber @m-pol.bsky.social and Frank Jülicher.
doi-org.sire.ub.edu/10.1103/f5x9...
Our work on generalising Lifshitz-Slyosov-Wagner (LSW) theory to active systems, led by the all-mighty Jonathan Bauermann, is out on PRL!! Special thanks to Christoph Weber @m-pol.bsky.social and Frank Jülicher.
doi-org.sire.ub.edu/10.1103/f5x9...
Reposted by Giacomo Bartolucci (he)
Ever wondered how to control stretch/compression in your epithelial system? Do you know why it’s important, which mechanotransduction mechanisms could be involved? I am @valeriaventurini.bsky.social and today I will guide you through this journey.
September 21, 2025 at 12:52 PM
Ever wondered how to control stretch/compression in your epithelial system? Do you know why it’s important, which mechanotransduction mechanisms could be involved? I am @valeriaventurini.bsky.social and today I will guide you through this journey.
Reposted by Giacomo Bartolucci (he)
Great to see the role of phase separation in the culinary world being recognised. 🧀🍝 A huge congratulations to @gbart.bsky.social and collaborators!
September 22, 2025 at 9:24 AM
Great to see the role of phase separation in the culinary world being recognised. 🧀🍝 A huge congratulations to @gbart.bsky.social and collaborators!
Can't wait to see you at UB!
Warm goodbye to Dresden's @mpipks.bsky.social, my scientific home for the past 4 years. It's been amazing to start my group here! Thanks to the Max Planck Society, group members and everyone at the institute! Looking forward to the new chapter in Barcelona @ub.edu
September 21, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Can't wait to see you at UB!
Reposted by Giacomo Bartolucci (he)
Truly chuffed for our fearless food physicists @mpipks.bsky.social + collabs from AT @istaresearch.bsky.social, IT & ES who won this year’s Ig Nobel - the #NobelPrize of hearts❤️for cracking the science of perfect pasta !🍝Kudos to all for intrepidly consuming lots of cheese in the name of science!😋
The Secret to a Smooth Pasta Sauce Wins Ig Nobel Prize
Italian researchers studied how the ingredients of the traditional Roman dish cacio e pepe emulsify into a creamy sauce, winning the 2025 Physics Ig Nobel Prize.
www.the-scientist.com
September 19, 2025 at 12:40 PM
Truly chuffed for our fearless food physicists @mpipks.bsky.social + collabs from AT @istaresearch.bsky.social, IT & ES who won this year’s Ig Nobel - the #NobelPrize of hearts❤️for cracking the science of perfect pasta !🍝Kudos to all for intrepidly consuming lots of cheese in the name of science!😋
Still can't believe this: WE WON THE IG NOBEL PHYSICS PRIZE www.washingtonpost.com/science/2025...
With painted cows and a perfect pasta sauce, ‘Ig Nobel’ winners claim glory
Some of the world’s most imaginative scientific minds have been celebrated at the Ig Nobel awards, which recognize discoveries that make people “laugh, then think.”
www.washingtonpost.com
September 19, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Still can't believe this: WE WON THE IG NOBEL PHYSICS PRIZE www.washingtonpost.com/science/2025...
Reposted by Giacomo Bartolucci (he)
Amazing!!! 🧪 The 2025 Ig Nobel prize goes to scientists from the @mpipks.bsky.social for discovering a bullet proof version to make the classic pasta alla cacio e pepe! Including a deep understanding of the pasta sauce in terms of phase separation physics 😃
Congrats @gbart.bsky.social et al!
Links👇
Congrats @gbart.bsky.social et al!
Links👇
September 19, 2025 at 5:52 AM
Amazing!!! 🧪 The 2025 Ig Nobel prize goes to scientists from the @mpipks.bsky.social for discovering a bullet proof version to make the classic pasta alla cacio e pepe! Including a deep understanding of the pasta sauce in terms of phase separation physics 😃
Congrats @gbart.bsky.social et al!
Links👇
Congrats @gbart.bsky.social et al!
Links👇
Reposted by Giacomo Bartolucci (he)
IG Nobel Prize in #Physics 2025 to @mpipks.bsky.social researchers for elucidating the phase behaviour of cacio e pepe sauce. The work highlights how physics can also be applied to solve daily-life problems!
nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03045-0
nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03045-0
Tipsy bats and perfect pasta: Ig Nobels celebrate ‘improbable’ research
The annual awards are a celebration of weird but thought-provoking science.
nature.com
September 19, 2025 at 1:11 PM
IG Nobel Prize in #Physics 2025 to @mpipks.bsky.social researchers for elucidating the phase behaviour of cacio e pepe sauce. The work highlights how physics can also be applied to solve daily-life problems!
nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03045-0
nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03045-0
Reposted by Giacomo Bartolucci (he)
Dreaming of a swimming pool? Bacteria are surrounded by water! Water capillary forces organize bacterial colonies into gas, nematic streams, or droplet states. New paper @natphys.nature.com led by Matt Black and Chenyi Fei, with Ned Wingreen and Josh Shaevitz!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Capillary interactions drive the self-organization of bacterial colonies - Nature Physics
Bacteria tend to live in thin layers of water on surfaces. Now the capillary forces in these layers are shown to help organize the bacteria into dense packs.
www.nature.com
August 2, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Dreaming of a swimming pool? Bacteria are surrounded by water! Water capillary forces organize bacterial colonies into gas, nematic streams, or droplet states. New paper @natphys.nature.com led by Matt Black and Chenyi Fei, with Ned Wingreen and Josh Shaevitz!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Proud of this preprint with my friends Jonathan Bauermann and @artemyte.bsky.social, about chemical oscillators & phase separation! Main findings:
1. Phase separation controls frequency and amplitude of oscillations
2. If reactions are fast, spirals of droplets emerge!
arxiv.org/abs/2507.16030
1. Phase separation controls frequency and amplitude of oscillations
2. If reactions are fast, spirals of droplets emerge!
arxiv.org/abs/2507.16030
August 1, 2025 at 8:13 AM
Proud of this preprint with my friends Jonathan Bauermann and @artemyte.bsky.social, about chemical oscillators & phase separation! Main findings:
1. Phase separation controls frequency and amplitude of oscillations
2. If reactions are fast, spirals of droplets emerge!
arxiv.org/abs/2507.16030
1. Phase separation controls frequency and amplitude of oscillations
2. If reactions are fast, spirals of droplets emerge!
arxiv.org/abs/2507.16030
"Phase behaviour of Cacio e Pepe sauce" got published in Physics of Fluids as part of the "kitchen flows" series!
An important addition to the preprint is the analysis of trisodium citrate preventing clumps
What a crazy journey, thanks everyone for the support!!
pubs.aip.org/aip/pof/arti...
An important addition to the preprint is the analysis of trisodium citrate preventing clumps
What a crazy journey, thanks everyone for the support!!
pubs.aip.org/aip/pof/arti...
Phase behavior of Cacio e Pepe sauce
“Pasta alla Cacio e pepe” is a traditional Italian dish made with pasta, pecorino cheese, and pepper. Despite its simple ingredient list, achieving the perfect
pubs.aip.org
May 7, 2025 at 8:07 PM
"Phase behaviour of Cacio e Pepe sauce" got published in Physics of Fluids as part of the "kitchen flows" series!
An important addition to the preprint is the analysis of trisodium citrate preventing clumps
What a crazy journey, thanks everyone for the support!!
pubs.aip.org/aip/pof/arti...
An important addition to the preprint is the analysis of trisodium citrate preventing clumps
What a crazy journey, thanks everyone for the support!!
pubs.aip.org/aip/pof/arti...
Reposted by Giacomo Bartolucci (he)
🎉Visit our COSMO event this Friday 🎉
Calling all music and science lovers! @jesseveenvliet.bsky.social from @mpi-cbg.de will give a fascinating talk on how new stem cell models shed light on the fundamentals of life, followed by a musical journey from the 80s to now. Learn more: tud.link/fktb9k
Calling all music and science lovers! @jesseveenvliet.bsky.social from @mpi-cbg.de will give a fascinating talk on how new stem cell models shed light on the fundamentals of life, followed by a musical journey from the 80s to now. Learn more: tud.link/fktb9k
April 9, 2025 at 2:35 PM
🎉Visit our COSMO event this Friday 🎉
Calling all music and science lovers! @jesseveenvliet.bsky.social from @mpi-cbg.de will give a fascinating talk on how new stem cell models shed light on the fundamentals of life, followed by a musical journey from the 80s to now. Learn more: tud.link/fktb9k
Calling all music and science lovers! @jesseveenvliet.bsky.social from @mpi-cbg.de will give a fascinating talk on how new stem cell models shed light on the fundamentals of life, followed by a musical journey from the 80s to now. Learn more: tud.link/fktb9k
Reposted by Giacomo Bartolucci (he)
How can organs regenerate fast? Bioelectricity helps -- by coupling sub-second electrical injury signals to regenerative proliferation.
First preprint from my potsdoc :D with @liujinghui.bsky.social @ritamateus.bsky.social @mpi-cbg.de and collaborators @mpipks.bsky.social @csbdresden.bsky.social
First preprint from my potsdoc :D with @liujinghui.bsky.social @ritamateus.bsky.social @mpi-cbg.de and collaborators @mpipks.bsky.social @csbdresden.bsky.social
April 9, 2025 at 2:12 PM
How can organs regenerate fast? Bioelectricity helps -- by coupling sub-second electrical injury signals to regenerative proliferation.
First preprint from my potsdoc :D with @liujinghui.bsky.social @ritamateus.bsky.social @mpi-cbg.de and collaborators @mpipks.bsky.social @csbdresden.bsky.social
First preprint from my potsdoc :D with @liujinghui.bsky.social @ritamateus.bsky.social @mpi-cbg.de and collaborators @mpipks.bsky.social @csbdresden.bsky.social
Reposted by Giacomo Bartolucci (he)
Whaaat?! Cell-estial Bloom took 1st place in the Node–FocalPlane image competition! 🤯🤯🤯
🎉Congratulations to the Top 3 images from the Node–FocalPlane image competition!
1️⃣"Cell-estial bloom" by @oozguc.bsky.social
2️⃣"Dancing actinotroch" by @allancarbal.bsky.social
3️⃣"Who’s active?" by @jupeloggia.bsky.social
thenode.biologists.com/results-from...
@focalplane.bsky.social #biologists100
1️⃣"Cell-estial bloom" by @oozguc.bsky.social
2️⃣"Dancing actinotroch" by @allancarbal.bsky.social
3️⃣"Who’s active?" by @jupeloggia.bsky.social
thenode.biologists.com/results-from...
@focalplane.bsky.social #biologists100
March 27, 2025 at 10:07 AM
Whaaat?! Cell-estial Bloom took 1st place in the Node–FocalPlane image competition! 🤯🤯🤯
Reposted by Giacomo Bartolucci (he)
"Cacio e pepe" physics: In arxiv.org/abs/2501.00536v1, eight Italian scientists from the Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems explain the physics behind a perfect dish of "cacio e pepe" and how to eschew the dreaded "mozzarella phase" - work featured @nytimes.com.
January 29, 2025 at 8:50 PM
"Cacio e pepe" physics: In arxiv.org/abs/2501.00536v1, eight Italian scientists from the Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems explain the physics behind a perfect dish of "cacio e pepe" and how to eschew the dreaded "mozzarella phase" - work featured @nytimes.com.
Thanks everyone for the immense interest and great feedback on our preprint! We are super happy (and a bit shocked) that a simple project developed among friends had such a resonance ending up in the New York Times and BBC!
@ivanditerlizzi.bsky.social @vicioms.bsky.social @dmbusiello.bsky.social
@ivanditerlizzi.bsky.social @vicioms.bsky.social @dmbusiello.bsky.social
Quotation of the Day: The Perfect Cacio e Pepe Recipe Does Exist. Just Ask Scientists.
Quotation of the Day for Saturday, January 25, 2025.
www.nytimes.com
January 27, 2025 at 9:20 PM
Thanks everyone for the immense interest and great feedback on our preprint! We are super happy (and a bit shocked) that a simple project developed among friends had such a resonance ending up in the New York Times and BBC!
@ivanditerlizzi.bsky.social @vicioms.bsky.social @dmbusiello.bsky.social
@ivanditerlizzi.bsky.social @vicioms.bsky.social @dmbusiello.bsky.social
1/n Some time ago my colleague, excellent cook, and friend Ivan told me: "Cacio e pepe is the recipe that I screw up more often. Let's make a project studying systematically the physics of that sauce".
Prepare to get cheesy, I'm glad to share the Cacio e paper preprint:
arxiv.org/abs/2501.00536
Prepare to get cheesy, I'm glad to share the Cacio e paper preprint:
arxiv.org/abs/2501.00536
January 4, 2025 at 9:34 AM
1/n Some time ago my colleague, excellent cook, and friend Ivan told me: "Cacio e pepe is the recipe that I screw up more often. Let's make a project studying systematically the physics of that sauce".
Prepare to get cheesy, I'm glad to share the Cacio e paper preprint:
arxiv.org/abs/2501.00536
Prepare to get cheesy, I'm glad to share the Cacio e paper preprint:
arxiv.org/abs/2501.00536
Proud to see our preprint circulating 🥹
I have read few papers as immediately useful and important as this one on Cacio e Pepe phase behavior.
Tl;dr: the starchy pasta water is absolutely critical to avoiding “mozzarella phase”
arxiv.org/abs/2501.00536
Tl;dr: the starchy pasta water is absolutely critical to avoiding “mozzarella phase”
arxiv.org/abs/2501.00536
January 4, 2025 at 9:22 AM
Proud to see our preprint circulating 🥹
Reposted by Giacomo Bartolucci (he)
Biomolecular condensate starter pack!
Trying to compile & to bring together biomolecular condensate enthusiasts & critics!
Please join this non-exhaustive (sorry!) collection & just ping me for addition.
#condensates, #phaseseparation, #granules, #IDPs
go.bsky.app/NFqmffa
Trying to compile & to bring together biomolecular condensate enthusiasts & critics!
Please join this non-exhaustive (sorry!) collection & just ping me for addition.
#condensates, #phaseseparation, #granules, #IDPs
go.bsky.app/NFqmffa
November 18, 2024 at 9:44 AM
Biomolecular condensate starter pack!
Trying to compile & to bring together biomolecular condensate enthusiasts & critics!
Please join this non-exhaustive (sorry!) collection & just ping me for addition.
#condensates, #phaseseparation, #granules, #IDPs
go.bsky.app/NFqmffa
Trying to compile & to bring together biomolecular condensate enthusiasts & critics!
Please join this non-exhaustive (sorry!) collection & just ping me for addition.
#condensates, #phaseseparation, #granules, #IDPs
go.bsky.app/NFqmffa
Reposted by Giacomo Bartolucci (he)
Starting a theoretical biophysics starter pack, feel free to (self-) nominate, I’ll keep updating this in the next days/weeks!
go.bsky.app/RMF7jUK
go.bsky.app/RMF7jUK
November 19, 2024 at 8:47 AM
Starting a theoretical biophysics starter pack, feel free to (self-) nominate, I’ll keep updating this in the next days/weeks!
go.bsky.app/RMF7jUK
go.bsky.app/RMF7jUK
What sets the size of active droplets? Which factors affect their ripening and facilitate division?
In a project led by the brilliant mind of Jonathan Bauermann, we delve into these profound questions together with Christoph Weber, Frank Jülicher, and Job Boekhoven
arxiv.org/abs/2409.03629
In a project led by the brilliant mind of Jonathan Bauermann, we delve into these profound questions together with Christoph Weber, Frank Jülicher, and Job Boekhoven
arxiv.org/abs/2409.03629
November 19, 2024 at 5:06 PM
What sets the size of active droplets? Which factors affect their ripening and facilitate division?
In a project led by the brilliant mind of Jonathan Bauermann, we delve into these profound questions together with Christoph Weber, Frank Jülicher, and Job Boekhoven
arxiv.org/abs/2409.03629
In a project led by the brilliant mind of Jonathan Bauermann, we delve into these profound questions together with Christoph Weber, Frank Jülicher, and Job Boekhoven
arxiv.org/abs/2409.03629