Periodic Reporting for period 1 - NutriCells (Synthetic Cells for Functional Food Platforms)
Reporting period: 2023-07-01 to 2024-12-31
The global food crisis, coupled with economic challenges, threatens the nutritional security of many, especially the elderly. As people age, their bodies struggle to absorb essential nutrients, leading to immune system weakening and cognitive decline.
Our project aims to develop synthetic cells (SCs), tiny lipid-based vesicles packed with essential fatty acids, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. These SCs will act as smart nutritional supplements, designed to integrate seamlessly into everyday foods. Utilizing AI-powered optimization, we will create food products enriched with SCs, making it easier for aging individuals to get the nutrients they need to maintain brain function and overall health.
This project builds on our ERC-STG-680242 research, where we initiated the development of SCs for medical applications. Now, we are taking it a step further, tailoring SC technology to enhance everyday nutrition. Our approach includes microfluidics and robotic liquid handling systems to fine-tune SC formulations for maximum efficiency and bioavailability.
Our project aims to develop synthetic cells (SCs), tiny lipid-based vesicles packed with essential fatty acids, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. These SCs will act as smart nutritional supplements, designed to integrate seamlessly into everyday foods. Utilizing AI-powered optimization, we will create food products enriched with SCs, making it easier for aging individuals to get the nutrients they need to maintain brain function and overall health.
This project builds on our ERC-STG-680242 research, where we initiated the development of SCs for medical applications. Now, we are taking it a step further, tailoring SC technology to enhance everyday nutrition. Our approach includes microfluidics and robotic liquid handling systems to fine-tune SC formulations for maximum efficiency and bioavailability.
Our work on the NutriCells project focused on creating SCs in a scalable, cost-effective, and sustainable way. One of the most significant achievements was the development of an automated method for large-scale SC production. Traditionally, SC fabrication has been a labor-intensive process, limiting its scalability. By integrating a robotic liquid handling system and an automated emulsification method, we were able to increase SC batch sizes by 30-fold while maintaining consistent size, structure, and functionality. Additionally, we implemented an AI-driven imaging system to improve SC characterization, allowing for high-throughput analysis with greater accuracy and efficiency. These advancements, recently published in Advanced Biology (Sharf-Pauker, N., et al. Advanced Biology. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1002/(opens in new window) adbi.202400671) provide a standardized, scalable workflow that reduces variability and improves reproducibility, making SCs more viable for commercial applications.
On the biochemical level, we optimized cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) within SCs to enhance efficiency and reduce costs. By refining energy source compositions, we achieved a twofold increase in protein production while significantly lowering the overall cost of reactions. This breakthrough enables more cost-effective production of SC-based functional components for various applications. Furthermore, we demonstrated longer-lasting protein synthesis reactions, allowing SCs to function for extended periods without the need for external supplementation. To validate the functionality of these improvements, we successfully integrated SCs into real-world applications, including in vivo studies. Large-scale SCs were administered to full-scale biological models, where real-time monitoring confirmed efficient protein production and extended functionality. The high consistency of SC batches also led to reduced variability in experimental outcomes, a crucial factor for future clinical and industrial adoption.
On the biochemical level, we optimized cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) within SCs to enhance efficiency and reduce costs. By refining energy source compositions, we achieved a twofold increase in protein production while significantly lowering the overall cost of reactions. This breakthrough enables more cost-effective production of SC-based functional components for various applications. Furthermore, we demonstrated longer-lasting protein synthesis reactions, allowing SCs to function for extended periods without the need for external supplementation. To validate the functionality of these improvements, we successfully integrated SCs into real-world applications, including in vivo studies. Large-scale SCs were administered to full-scale biological models, where real-time monitoring confirmed efficient protein production and extended functionality. The high consistency of SC batches also led to reduced variability in experimental outcomes, a crucial factor for future clinical and industrial adoption.
This project takes SCs technology to the next level, making it more scalable, efficient, and commercially viable than ever before. The ability to produce SCs in large batches while keeping their structure and functionality intact is critical for real life implementation. These advancements open new possibilities for functional foods, biopharmaceuticals, and therapeutic applications, where SCs can deliver nutrients or active proteins in a controlled and effective way.
At its core, this project has laid the foundation for a shift in synthetic biology, turning SCs from a promising concept into practical, scalable, and market-ready technology. With proper support, through research, industry backing, and regulatory frameworks, SCs have the potential to revolutionize personalized nutrition, drug delivery, and beyond.
At its core, this project has laid the foundation for a shift in synthetic biology, turning SCs from a promising concept into practical, scalable, and market-ready technology. With proper support, through research, industry backing, and regulatory frameworks, SCs have the potential to revolutionize personalized nutrition, drug delivery, and beyond.