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Title: Engineering spatiotemporal organization and dynamics in synthetic cells
Abstract

Constructing synthetic cells has recently become an appealing area of research. Decades of research in biochemistry and cell biology have amassed detailed part lists of components involved in various cellular processes. Nevertheless, recreating any cellular process in vitro in cell‐sized compartments remains ambitious and challenging. Two broad features or principles are key to the development of synthetic cells—compartmentalization and self‐organization/spatiotemporal dynamics. In this review article, we discuss the current state of the art and research trends in the engineering of synthetic cell membranes, development of internal compartmentalization, reconstitution of self‐organizing dynamics, and integration of activities across scales of space and time. We also identify some research areas that could play a major role in advancing the impact and utility of engineered synthetic cells.

This article is categorized under:

Biology‐Inspired Nanomaterials > Lipid‐Based Structures

Biology‐Inspired Nanomaterials > Protein and Virus‐Based Structures

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Award ID(s):
1941966 1817909 1553031 1817478
NSF-PAR ID:
10382542
Author(s) / Creator(s):
 ;  ;  ;  ;  ;  ;  
Publisher / Repository:
Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)
Date Published:
Journal Name:
WIREs Nanomedicine and Nanobiotechnology
Volume:
13
Issue:
3
ISSN:
1939-5116
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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