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The HoneyComb Paradigm for Research on Collective Human Behavior
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Prototissues: Assembly strategies, collective behaviors, and emerging applications
Ziqi Liu1,2,3, Yiming Wang2,3, Wei Pei1,2,3
1Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, Aerospace Center Hospital, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China.
Bioactive Materials
|January 22, 2026
Summary
This review presents a framework for designing prototissues, which are collections of artificial cells. These structures enable complex behaviors for applications in medicine and materials science.
Area of Science:
- Synthetic biology
- Biomaterials science
- Artificial life
Background:
- Bottom-up synthetic biology enables construction of artificial life systems.
- Collective behaviors in artificial systems emerge from interconnected protocell assemblies (prototissues).
- Prototissues hold potential for biomedicine, biosensing, and smart materials.
Purpose of the Study:
- Introduce a dual-dimensional framework for prototissue design.
- Summarize collective behaviors enabled by design principles.
- Highlight advances supporting prototissue development.
Main Methods:
- Examining inter-protocell adhesion strategies for molecular connectivity.
- Analyzing spatial programming approaches for functional architectures.
- Reviewing advances in materials chemistry, synthetic biology, and manufacturing.
Main Results:
- A framework categorizes prototissue design by adhesion and spatial organization.
- Key collective behaviors arise from specific design principles.
- Materials chemistry and advanced manufacturing facilitate adaptive prototissues.
Conclusions:
- Prototissues offer a platform for emergent behaviors and life-like properties.
- Challenges include dynamic adhesion, scaling, signal transport, and biological integration.
- A conceptual framework guides rational design for next-generation prototissues.
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