scholarly journals pH-Triggered Assembly of Endomembrane Multicompartments in Synthetic Cells

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felix Lussier ◽  
Martin Schroeter ◽  
Nicolas J Diercks ◽  
Kevin Jahnke ◽  
Cornelia Weber ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Synthetic Biology ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Cellular Phenotype ◽  
Endomembrane System ◽  
Unilamellar Vesicles ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Cellular Processes ◽  
Simultaneous Reconstruction ◽  
Synthetic Cells ◽  
Small Unilamellar Vesicles

Bottom-up synthetic biology thrives to reconstruct basic cellular processes into a minimalist cellular replica to foster their investigation in greater details with a reduced number of variables. Among these cellular features, the endomembrane system is an important aspect of cells which is at the origin of many of their functions. Still, the reconstruction of these inner compartments within a lipid-based vesicle remains challenging and poorly controlled. Herein, we report the use of pH as external trigger to self-assemble compartmentalized giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) by either bulk, or droplet-based microfluidics. By co-encapsulating pH sensitive small unilamellar vesicles (SUVs), negatively charged SUVs and/or proteins, we show that acidification of the droplets efficiently produces GUVs while sequestrating the co-encapsulated material with flexibility and robustness. The method enables the simultaneous reconstruction of more than a single cellular phenotype from the bottom-up, corresponding to an important advancement in the current status quo of bottom-up synthetic biology.

scholarly journals Is Research on “Synthetic Cells” Moving to the Next Level?

Life ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pasquale Stano
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Synthetic Biology ◽  
Rapid Expansion ◽  
Enzymatic Reactions ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Is Research ◽  
Synthetic Cells ◽  
Recent Trends

“Synthetic cells” research focuses on the construction of cell-like models by using solute-filled artificial microcompartments with a biomimetic structure. In recent years this bottom-up synthetic biology area has considerably progressed, and the field is currently experiencing a rapid expansion. Here we summarize some technical and theoretical aspects of synthetic cells based on gene expression and other enzymatic reactions inside liposomes, and comment on the most recent trends. Such a tour will be an occasion for asking whether times are ripe for a sort of qualitative jump toward novel SC prototypes: is research on “synthetic cells” moving to a next level?

scholarly journals Synthetic Cells Engaged in Molecular Communication: An Opportunity for Modelling Shannon- and Semantic-Information in the Chemical Domain

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maurizio Magarini ◽  
Pasquale Stano
Keyword(s):  
Synthetic Biology ◽  
Semantic Information ◽  
Emerging Technology ◽  
Shannon Information ◽  
Molecular Communication ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Nano Scale ◽  
Synthetic Cell ◽  
Synthetic Cells ◽  
Cell Fabrication

In this Perspective article we intend to focus on the opportunity of modelling Shannon information and/or “semantic” information in the field originated by the convergence of bottom-up synthetic biology (in particular, the construction of “synthetic cells”) and the engineering approaches to molecular communication. In particular we will argue that the emerging technology of synthetic cell fabrication will allow novel opportunities to study nano-scale communication and manipulation of information in unprecedented manner. More specifically, we will discuss the possibility of enquiring on the transfer and manipulation of information in the chemical domain, and interpreting such a dynamics according to Shannon or to MacKay-Bateson (“semantic” information).

scholarly journals 3D-printed synthetic tissues

2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 16-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Booth ◽  
Hagan Bayley
Keyword(s):  
Protein Synthesis ◽  
Synthetic Biology ◽  
Medical Applications ◽  
3D Printer ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Electrical Signals ◽  
Synthetic Cells ◽  
3D Printed ◽  
Living Tissues

‘Bottom-up’ approaches in synthetic biology have been used to construct synthetic cells from simple biological components. By contrast, relatively little work has been done on synthetic tissues in which collections of cells cooperate to achieve functionality that cannot be generated by individual compartments. We have developed a 3D printer, which can create structures containing hundreds or thousands of communicating aqueous droplets arranged in programmed patterns. These tissue-like materials can adopt properties such as the ability to fold or conduct electrical signals. Furthermore, the properties of the materials can be extended, so that they become true synthetic tissues through the performance of sophisticated functions such as protein synthesis. In addition, we have shown that 3D-printed synthetic tissues can be controlled and energized externally, for example by light. Printed synthetic tissues might find a variety of uses in medicine and could even be interfaced directly with living tissues. As they contain no genome and cannot replicate, synthetic tissues are comparatively safe for medical applications.

Evolving protocells to prototissues: rational design of a missing link

2013 ◽  
Vol 41 (5) ◽  
pp. 1159-1165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shiksha Mantri ◽  
K. Tanuj Sapra
Keyword(s):  
Synthetic Biology ◽  
Rational Design ◽  
Structural Elements ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Missing Link ◽  
Hierarchical Assembly ◽  
Artificial Cell

Realization of a functional artificial cell, the so-called protocell, is a major challenge posed by synthetic biology. A subsequent goal is to use the protocellular units for the bottom-up assembly of prototissues. There is, however, a looming chasm in our knowledge between protocells and prototissues. In the present paper, we give a brief overview of the work on protocells to date, followed by a discussion on the rational design of key structural elements specific to linking two protocellular bilayers. We propose that designing synthetic parts capable of simultaneous insertion into two bilayers may be crucial in the hierarchical assembly of protocells into a functional prototissue.

scholarly journals Microfluidic platform enables tailored translocation and reaction cascades in nanoliter droplet networks

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Bachler ◽  
Dominik Haidas ◽  
Marion Ort ◽  
Todd A. Duncombe ◽  
Petra S. Dittrich
Keyword(s):  
Synthetic Biology ◽  
Lipid Membranes ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Microfluidic Platform ◽  
Alpha Hemolysin ◽  
Droplet Interface Bilayer ◽  
Translocation Experiments ◽  
Fluorescent Molecules ◽  
Reaction Cascades ◽  
Minimal Cells

AbstractIn the field of bottom-up synthetic biology, lipid membranes are the scaffold to create minimal cells and mimic reactions and processes at or across the membrane. In this context, we employ here a versatile microfluidic platform that enables precise positioning of nanoliter droplets with user-specified lipid compositions and in a defined pattern. Adjacent droplets make contact and form a droplet interface bilayer to simulate cellular membranes. Translocation of molecules across membranes are tailored by the addition of alpha-hemolysin to selected droplets. Moreover, we developed a protocol to analyze the translocation of non-fluorescent molecules between droplets with mass spectrometry. Our method is capable of automated formation of one- and two-dimensional droplet networks, which we demonstrated by connecting droplets containing different compound and enzyme solutions to perform translocation experiments and a multistep enzymatic cascade reaction across the droplet network. Our platform opens doors for creating complex artificial systems for bottom-up synthetic biology.

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