Researchers have developed artificial cell-like structures using inorganic matter that autonomously ingest, process, and push out material—recreating an essential function of living cells. Their findings were published in Nature.
The team from New York University and the University of Chicago describe a new, fully synthetic cell mimic that when deployed in mixtures of different particles, performed active transport tasks by autonomously capturing, concentrating, storing, and delivering microscopic cargo.
To design the cell mimics, the researchers created a spherical membrane the size of a red blood cell using a polymer, a stand-in for the cellular membrane that controls what goes in and out of a cell. They pierced a microscopic hole into the spherical membrane creating a nano-channel through which matter can be exchanged, imitating a cell’s protein channel.
Search Antibodies Search Now Use our Antibody Search Tool to find the right antibody for your research. Filter
by Type, Application, Reactivity, Host, Clonality, Conjugate/Tag, and Isotype.
“Our design concept enables these artificial cell mimics to operate autonomously and perform active transport tasks that have so far been confined to the realm of living cells,” said Stefano Sacanna, lead author. “At the heart of the cell-like structure’s design is the synergy between an active element that powers it from the inside and the physical constraints imposed by the cell walls, allowing them to ingest, process, and expel foreign bodies.”