The research work corresponding to this project was achieved via 7 work packages (WP0-WP6). WP0 included the meetings to discuss the progress of the project, data management procedures etc. The bulk of this work package was completed in the initial days of the project. WP1 was involved with the design and synthesis of programmable artificial cells. Colloidal protocells and vesicular compartments were synthesized with semipermeable membranes. The walls of these compartments were modified by covalently attaching polymers on the surface. The pore sizes, scalability and wall type were deciding factors for design of these compartments. These protocells could potentially aggregate to form proto-colonies induced by environmental triggers. WP2 dealt with the interprotocellular communications between the binary populations of protocells which interact with each other. The leaky nature of these compartments was exploited to exhibit well-known enzyme cascade reactions between the interacting protocells via loading biologically essential proteins and enzymes in these artificial cells. Moreover, the compartments could be shown to interact and assemble following electrostatic, host/guest, protein/protein interactions to undergo programmable cell-cell signalling. WP3 is involved in the formation of switchable assembly states of the compartments. Enzymatically controlled trigger in the environmental pH conditions were shown to switch the interactions between protocells from docking to undocking states. This in turn affects the intercellular communications and as a result signalling. WP4 was involved in the development of redox homeostasis in artificial cells which was achieved through opposing enzymatic systems in interacting protocellular models. WP5 and WP6 focussed on the researcher training, transfer of knowledge and communication and dissemination of results.
During the work on research projects, the fellow has trained several masters (thesis defended in summer 2022) and bachelor (project report submitted in 2022 and 2023) students which has led to successful projects. She has also been involved in summer school and guidance of PhD students. The fellow has received training in the construction of various kinds of artificial cells and compartments like liquid-liquid phase separated coacervates, colloidosomes, capsules, giant unilamellar vesicles (at Prof. Stephen Mann’s Lab, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol), fluorescence and confocal fluorescence microscopy, also got training in handling living cells like yeast and bacteria. The project and results have led to many new fruitful collaborations which could lead to impactful research output in the near future.
Results of the fellow’s research will be reported in manuscripts (3 manuscripts in preparation, 2 projects which require some more supporting data), research seminars and conferences. This work has already been presented at two conferences (Syncell 2022 and Gordon Research Conference on Supramolecular Chemistry and Self-assembly 2023) via poster and invited oral presentations. Our research was also popularized by various research seminars where the outcomes were highly appreciated.
