diff --git a/src/Base/PODVector.cpp b/src/Base/PODVector.cpp
index 109745b7..2e11d121 100644
--- a/src/Base/PODVector.cpp
+++ b/src/Base/PODVector.cpp
@@ -61,6 +61,9 @@ void make_PODVector(py::module &m, std::string typestr, std::string allocstr)
         .def(py::init<>())
         .def(py::init<std::size_t>(), py::arg("size"))
         .def(py::init<PODVector_type&>(), py::arg("other"))
+        .def("assign", [](PODVector_type & pv, T const & value){
+            pv.assign(pv.size(), value);
+        }, py::arg("value"), "assign the same value to every element")
         .def("push_back", py::overload_cast<const T&>(&PODVector_type::push_back))
         .def("pop_back", &PODVector_type::pop_back)
         .def("clear", &PODVector_type::clear)
diff --git a/src/Particle/ParticleContainer.H b/src/Particle/ParticleContainer.H
index 532542a1..36cce41d 100644
--- a/src/Particle/ParticleContainer.H
+++ b/src/Particle/ParticleContainer.H
@@ -196,9 +196,23 @@ void make_ParticleContainer_and_Iterators (py::module &m, std::string allocstr)
         .def_property_readonly("num_runtime_int_comps", &ParticleContainerType::NumRuntimeIntComps,
             "The number of runtime Int components in SoA")
 
+
         .def_property_readonly("num_position_components", [](const py::object&){ return AMREX_SPACEDIM; })
         .def_property_readonly("byte_spread", &ParticleContainerType::ByteSpread)
 
+        // runtime components
+        .def("add_real_comp", &ParticleContainerType::template AddRealComp<bool>,
+             py::arg("communicate")=true, "add a new runtime component with type Real")
+        .def("add_int_comp", &ParticleContainerType::template AddIntComp<bool>,
+             py::arg("communicate")=true, "add a new runtime component with type Int")
+
+        .def("resize_runtime_real_comp", &ParticleContainerType::ResizeRuntimeRealComp,
+            py::arg("new_size"), py::arg("communicate"),
+            "Resize the Real runtime components (SoA)")
+        .def("resize_runtime_int_comp", &ParticleContainerType::ResizeRuntimeIntComp,
+             py::arg("new_size"), py::arg("communicate"),
+             "Resize the Int runtime components (SoA)")
+
         .def_property_readonly("finest_level", &ParticleContainerBase::finestLevel)
 
         // ParticleContainer ( const ParticleContainer &) = delete;