Phase separation underpins a wide range of phenomena from the formation of membraneless intracellular compartments known as biomolecular condensates to the collective behavior of bacteria.  Unlike simpler systems like oil and water, however, phase separation in these systems is often complicated by mechanical interactions, nonequilibrium activities, and heterogeneity.

In my talk, I will delve into how I navigated these complexities to uncover new insights into three distinct systems. I will first address biomolecular condensates within chromatin-packed cell nuclei, highlighting how the competition between elastic and capillary forces crucially shapes the structure and mechanics of the chromatin networks. Next, I will share my discovery of emergent phenomena in active systems such as bacteria and active colloids, due to the interplay between movements along chemical gradients and motility-induced phase separation. Lastly, I'll discuss how image-based learning uncovered the physics of phase-separating particles driven out of equilibrium by electrochemical reactions, revealing their reaction kinetics, free energy landscape, and heterogeneity.