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Related Concept Videos

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 14, 2025

Directed Assembly of Elastin-like Proteins into defined Supramolecular Structures and Cargo Encapsulation In Vitro
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Elastin-like polypeptide coacervates as reversibly triggerable compartments for synthetic cells.

Chang Chen1, Ketan A Ganar1, Robbert J de Haas1

  • 1Laboratory of Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter, Wageningen University and Research, Stippeneng 4, 6708 WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands.

Communications Chemistry
|September 4, 2024
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Summary

Researchers created dynamic synthetic cells using peptide coacervates and microfluidics. This lab-on-a-chip system enables reversible control over membraneless organelles (MOs) within artificial cells via environmental triggers.

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Area of Science:

  • Synthetic biology
  • Biomaterials science
  • Microfluidics

Background:

  • Cellular compartmentalization is crucial for biological function.
  • Synthetic cells require dynamic and responsive sub-compartments for engineered processes.
  • Membraneless organelles (MOs) formed via coacervation offer a promising approach for artificial cell engineering.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a lab-on-a-chip system for reversible triggering of peptide-based coacervates within synthetic cells.
  • To engineer dynamic, responsive membraneless organelles (MOs) in artificial cell constructs.
  • To demonstrate the utility of elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) and double emulsion droplets (DEs) for controlled compartmentalization.

Main Methods:

  • High-throughput microfluidic production of double emulsion droplets (DEs) encapsulating elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs).
  • Utilized pH and temperature variations to induce coacervate formation and dissolution cycles within DEs.
  • Developed an integrated microfluidic device for trapping and environmental stimulation of DEs, including osmolyte-based triggering.

Main Results:

  • Successfully produced microfluidic DEs with efficient ELP encapsulation.
  • Demonstrated multiple cycles of MO formation and dissolution in DEs using physicochemical triggers.
  • Showcased reversible compartmentalization within synthetic cells using ELPs and DEs on a microfluidic platform.

Conclusions:

  • Engineered reversible membraneless compartmentalization in synthetic cells using DEs and ELPs.
  • The microfluidic platform enables precise control over MO dynamics via environmental stimuli.
  • The developed system has broad applicability for phase separation and vesicle systems in synthetic cell research.