Liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) and liquid crystalline (LC) ordering are ubiquitous phenomena in nature, in a variety of biomolecular solutions. Here, we review instances in DNA, nanocellulose, and other systems, where they occur together, leading to the formation of liquid–liquid crystalline phase separation (LLCPS), and we highlight analogies, differences, recent advances, and open questions. Remarkably, the intrinsic fluid yet ordered nature of LC, combined with the spatial confinement induced by LLPS, leads to peculiar biomolecular compartments suitable for a broad range of applications, ranging from material science to synthetic biology. We argue that tools from the LC field help to address still unexplained processes such as the onset of phase transitions in intracellular biomolecular condensates.

液-液相分离 (LLPS) 和液晶 (LC) 排序是自然界中各种生物分子溶液中普遍存在的现象。在这里，我们回顾了 DNA、纳米纤维素和其他系统中的实例，它们一起发生，导致形成液-液晶相分离 (LLCPS)，我们重点介绍了类比、差异、最新进展和悬而未决的问题。值得注意的是，LC 固有的流体但有序的性质，加上由 LLPS 引起的空间限制，导致了适用于从材料科学到合成生物学的广泛应用的特殊生物分子隔室。我们认为来自 LC 领域的工具有助于解决仍然无法解释的过程，例如细胞内生物分子凝聚物中相变的开始。