Biomolecular condensates regulate autophagy , a cellular process that destroys unwanted components, by remodeling cell membranes to encapsulate damaged organelles and proteins for degradation. However, the mechanisms driving these condensate-membrane interactions are poorly understood. To address this, Alex Stevens is engineering synthetic biomolecular condensate tools to probe the physical principles underlying autophagy. By deepening our understanding, these tools will help open new avenues for therapeutic strategies targeting conditions that involve autophagy defects, including neurodegenerative diseases, cancers, and metabolic disorders.