article published yes Maria Panoukidou author Simon Weir author Valerio Sorichetti author ef8a92cb-c7b6-11ec-8bea-e1fd5847bc5b0000-0002-9645-6576 Yair Gutierrez Fosado author Martin Lenz author Davide Michieletto author AnSa department The process of polymer condensation, i.e., the formation of bonds between reactive end groups, is ubiquitous in both industry and biology. Here we study generic systems undergoing polymer condensation in competition with cyclization. Using a generalized Smoluchowski theory, molecular dynamics simulations and experiments with DNA and ATP-consuming T4 ligase, we find that this system displays a transition, from a ring-dominated regime with finite-length chains at infinite time to a linear-polymers-dominated one with chains that keep growing in time. Finally, we show that fluids prepared close to the transition may have widely different compositions and rheology at large condensation times. https://research-explorer.ista.ac.at/download/17050/17055/2024_PhysicalReviewResearch_Panoukidou.pdf application/pdfno https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ American Physical Society2024 eng 2643-1564 2210.1401010.1103/PhysRevResearch.6.023189 62 Panoukidou M, Weir S, Sorichetti V, Fosado YG, Lenz M, Michieletto D. Runaway transition in irreversible polymer condensation with cyclization. <i>Physical Review Research</i>. 2024;6(2). doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.6.023189">10.1103/PhysRevResearch.6.023189</a> M. Panoukidou, S. Weir, V. Sorichetti, Y.G. Fosado, M. Lenz, D. Michieletto, Physical Review Research 6 (2024). Panoukidou, M., Weir, S., Sorichetti, V., Fosado, Y. G., Lenz, M., &#38; Michieletto, D. (2024). Runaway transition in irreversible polymer condensation with cyclization. <i>Physical Review Research</i>. American Physical Society. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.6.023189">https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.6.023189</a> M. Panoukidou, S. Weir, V. Sorichetti, Y. G. Fosado, M. Lenz, and D. Michieletto, “Runaway transition in irreversible polymer condensation with cyclization,” <i>Physical Review Research</i>, vol. 6, no. 2. American Physical Society, 2024. Panoukidou, Maria, Simon Weir, Valerio Sorichetti, Yair Gutierrez Fosado, Martin Lenz, and Davide Michieletto. “Runaway Transition in Irreversible Polymer Condensation with Cyclization.” <i>Physical Review Research</i>. American Physical Society, 2024. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.6.023189">https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.6.023189</a>. Panoukidou, Maria, et al. “Runaway Transition in Irreversible Polymer Condensation with Cyclization.” <i>Physical Review Research</i>, vol. 6, no. 2, 023189, American Physical Society, 2024, doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.6.023189">10.1103/PhysRevResearch.6.023189</a>. Panoukidou M, Weir S, Sorichetti V, Fosado YG, Lenz M, Michieletto D. 2024. Runaway transition in irreversible polymer condensation with cyclization. Physical Review Research. 6(2), 023189. 170502024-05-26T22:00:58Z2025-05-14T09:32:40Z