Project description
Advancing artificial cells
To understand the complexity of cells and the dynamics of cellular processes, researchers have designed artificial cells that mimic biological functions such as metabolism and growth. Artificial cells represent a fascinating intersection of biology, chemistry and engineering, but given that natural cells exist in multicellular systems such as tissues, there is a need to shift research towards interdependent populations. Funded by the European Research Council, the PRO-ARTIS project aims to develop artificial cell populations that can interact with their counterparts using a new platform for dynamic protein exchange. Apart from fundamental insight into multicellular processes, this study has the potential to advance synthetic biology and biomedicine.
Objective
Artificial cells are soft matter, micron-sized compartments that display features which are normally associated with living cells only. These include aspects such as metabolism, growth and communication. Artificial cell research is motivated by the fact that the creation of synthetic compartments with lifelike features leads to a better understanding of the complexity of living cells and to the ability to design systems with interactive behavior. Research has until now been mostly focused on the development of individual artificial cells. However, in biology living cells don’t act fully independently; their behavior is much affected by the proximity of other cells. Cells therefore display interdependence for both single cell populations of bacteria and for more strongly integrated multicellular systems such as tissues.
With PRO-ARTIS I aim to explore a new direction in artificial cell research, by creating artificial cell populations with interdependent and autonomous function. To achieve this goal I will optimally benefit from our recently developed artificial cell platform that allows the dynamic uptake and release of proteins. This is a powerful method for the exchange of active components that can be employed in process regulation. This investigation is of great interest as it allows me to take the functional integration of different artificial cells to an advanced level. From a fundamental point of view, this will shed more light on how natural multicellular processes are governed. It furthermore provides exciting opportunities to develop concepts that can be translated to a next generation of dynamic soft matter systems. I furthermore aim to functionally integrate artificial and living cells. This ambitious objective addresses an underexplored area in synthetic biology with much potential in biomedicine. If the challenging task of integration succeeds, I have developed a technology that directs and modulates biological processes with unprecedented precision.
Fields of science
Keywords
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme
Topic(s)
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC GrantsHost institution
5612 AE Eindhoven
Netherlands