How can we create an artificial cell and mimic intracellular biochemical processes?
A living cell has an amazing metabolism allowing it to grow and divide, and to respond and adapt to changes that occur in the environment. Moreover, cells produce compounds, which are secreted out of the cell, e.g. for cell-cell communication and other purposes. In this regard, described with a technical wording, living cells can be considered as very impressive machinery that consists of multiple reaction compartments, each of which has its particular role and provides particular reaction conditions. When considering that some cell types are able to synthesize complex organic molecules in large yields, it becomes obvious that the efficiency of this machinery is unmet in any macroscopic man-made (bio)reaction system. However, since decades the aim of many chemists, material scientists, synthetic biologist, biotechnologists and others is to investigate, understand and copy principles from natural systems including a single living cell and exploit their potential for similar purposes such as protein production, but also in a completely different context, e.g. the realization of highly specific cell-free sensors. Moreover, simple mimics could be the key to understand early forms of life and hence, the very early evolution of life. For cell mimics, also referred to as protocells, minimal cells, or artificial cells, some of the key challenges are not yet solved, which are (i) the fascinating way a natural cell can form various compartments; (ii) the signalling and regulatory systems of a cell that allows for signal transmission as well as exchange of compounds in and out of the cell and cell organelles, which is highly sophisticated so that mimicking and bottom-up assembling seem currently far out of reach.
The overall aim of the here described projects is to learn fundamental characteristics of cellular organization and compartmentalization, in particular to mimic the lipid membrane, and to exploit this knowledge for engineering minimal cells with a great impact in the context of synthetic biology and also pharmaceutical and medical applications.
The key methods to address these challenges are based on lab-on-chip technology (also referred to as microfluidics technology) that provides the unique potential to systematically investigate membrane properties by allowing precise formation, positioning, manipulation and analysis of the membranes; together with many more advantages such as the fast and controlled fluid supply, the possibility of tailoring the chemical surface patterns and surface topology and the application of electrical fields. Microfluidic platforms will allow going far beyond the existing methods in membrane research, so that controlled bottom-up formation of simple to more and more complex systems becomes possible.
