{
  "id": 10553545,
  "title": "Fibers and Glasses are Competing Material States in FUS Protein Condensation",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/28/fibers-and-glasses-are-competing-material-states-in-fus-protein",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-28T00:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "bioRxiv",
    "slug": "biorxiv",
    "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.28.754945v1?rss=1"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Recent research on the protein FUS has revealed two distinct material states that coexist and age differently. Dense, well-ordered amyloid fibers - a hallmark of neurodegenerative disease - form alongside liquid-like condensates that eventually transform into a glassy, solid phase. According to the study, fiber growth predominantly occurs in the dilute regions surrounding these condensates, while the condensates themselves undergo a transition to a rigid, glassy state. These findings demonstrate that there are two competing aging pathways in FUS condensation, which are interconnected through phase separation kinetics.",
  "summary": "Dense, well-ordered material states of proteins form the amyloid fibers that are a hallmark of neurodegenerative disease in the brain. Beyond forming amyloid fibers, some of these proteins can also adopt other material states termed condensates which are initially liquid-like but evolve to a soft, glassy phase. Fiber growth requires a large supply of monomers and, thus, it is often speculated…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}