A coacervate is a spherical aggregation of lipid molecules making up a colloidal inclusion which is held together by hydrophobic forces. ... A wide variety of solutions can give rise to them; for example, coacervates form spontaneously when a protein, such as gelatin, reacts with gum arabic.

How are coacervates formed?

It forms through liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), leading to a dense phase in thermodynamic equilibrium with a dilute phase. The dispersed droplets of dense phase are also called coacervates, micro-coacervates or coacervate droplets. ... Coacervate-like protocells are at the core of the Oparin-Haldane hypothesis.

What is the composition of coacervates?

Coacervates composed of poly(diallyldimethylammonium) chloride (PDDA) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) were also able to sequester globular proteins such as green fluorescent protein (GFP) at a 86-fold higher concentration within the coacervate phase droplet as compared to the surrounding phase (Williams et al., 2012).