Ellen Adams

Dr. Ellen Adams serves as Head of the Physical Chemistry of Biomolecular Condensates research group within the Biophysics Department at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), operating under the Resource Ecology Institute. Her work bridges physics, chemistry, and biology to investigate molecular organization in cellular environments.

Her research focuses on biomolecular condensates – membraneless organelles formed through liquid-liquid phase separation – exploring their physical chemistry, regulatory mechanisms, and roles in cellular function. Key interests include molecular self-assembly dynamics, phase behavior of intrinsically disordered proteins, and the physicochemical principles governing cellular compartmentalization. This work has implications for understanding neurodegenerative diseases and developing biomimetic materials.

Based at HZDR's Dresden campus (Bautzner Landstraße 400, Building 801/P301), she utilizes advanced experimental techniques in soft matter physics and biophysical characterization. Her research program integrates theoretical modeling with empirical validation to decode the physical rules underlying biological organization.