DOI: https://doi.org/10.29363/nanoge.eimc.2021.012
Publication date: 5th July 2021
Artificial cells are cell-like entities constructed from the bottom-up using molecular building blocks, which resemble real biological cells in form and function. They are used both as simplified models of biological cells, and as smart soft-matter microdevices with a range of potential applications in industrial and clinical biotechnology. However, due to the lack of cellular infrastructure and absence of spatial organisation, the capabilities of artificial cells have not matched their biological counterparts. In this talk, I will present work from our group which aims to address this gap.
We have developed a series of microfluidic technologies that allow us (i) to build cells of defined sizes, lamellarity, level of compartmentalisation, and internal architecture and (ii) to manipulate them in order to recapitulate various membranous motifs found in biology (e.g. double membranes, gap junctions, and tunnelling nanotubes). By deploying molecular bioengineering principles and by transplanting cellular machinery, we can programme our cells to possess the behaviours that are the hallmarks of life: communication, signalling, motility, sense/response, and biosynthesis. To further enhance artificial cell functionality, we use living cells and organelles as discrete functional modules that are embedded inside artificial cells. The resultant ‘hybrid’ cells are composed of a synthetic host and a living organelle, which enjoy a mutually beneficial relationship, and can be considered a novel living/synthetic cellular bionic material.
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