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Self-Organizing Microdroplet Protocells Displaying Light-Driven Oscillatory and Morphological Evolution.

Gong Cheng1, Chenyu Lin1, Juan Perez-Mercader1,2

  • 1Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences and Origins of Life Initiative, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.

Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|May 12, 2021
PubMed
Summary

Researchers created active microdroplet protocells that self-assemble dynamically. These synthetic systems mimic life-like properties, showing oscillatory growth and forming complex structures from molecular blocks.

Keywords:
active materialsmicrodropletsnon-equilibriumoscillatory chemistryself-assembly

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Area of Science:

  • Synthetic biology
  • Materials science
  • Origin of life studies

Background:

  • Mimicking the complexity and dynamic behavior of living systems is crucial for understanding life's origins and developing active materials.
  • Constructing dynamic microsystems linked to molecular self-assembly driven by external energy remains a significant scientific challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To report the active self-assembly of microdroplet protocells with dynamic structure and high complexity.
  • To investigate the creation of synthetic systems that exhibit life-like properties through controlled energy flux.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized living radical polymerization under a constant energy flux to drive self-assembly.
  • Employed transient stabilization of molecular assembly via noncovalent interactions to channel energy.
  • Observed intercommunication and stochastic fusion of microdroplet protocells.

Main Results:

  • Demonstrated active self-assembly of microdroplet protocells with dynamic structure and high complexity.
  • Observed nonlinear behaviors, including oscillatory growth and shrinkage, in the protocells.
  • Reported the formation of diverse, dynamic, higher-order biomimetic microstructures through protocell fusion.

Conclusions:

  • This work represents a significant advancement towards creating autonomous, dynamic microsystems.
  • The developed microdroplet protocells exhibit life-like properties, paving the way for novel active materials.
  • Transient stabilization of molecular assembly is key to channeling energy for dynamic synthetic systems.