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Related Concept Videos

Eukaryotic Compartmentalizations01:46

Eukaryotic Compartmentalizations

One of the distinguishing features of eukaryotic cells is that they contain membrane-bound organelles, such as the nucleus and mitochondria, that carry out specialized functions. Since biological membranes are only selectively permeable to solutes, they help create a compartment with controlled conditions inside an organelle. These microenvironments are tailored to the organelle's specific functions and help isolate them from the surrounding cytosol.
For example, lysosomes in the animal cells...
Eukaryotic Compartmentalization01:37

Eukaryotic Compartmentalization

One of the distinguishing features of eukaryotic cells is that they contain membrane-bound organelles, such as the nucleus and mitochondria, that carry out specialized functions. Since biological membranes are only selectively permeable to solutes, they help create a compartment with controlled conditions inside an organelle. These microenvironments are tailored to the organelle's specific functions and help isolate them from the surrounding cytosol.
For example, lysosomes in the animal cells...
Cell Diversity01:13

Cell Diversity

The concept of a cell started with microscopic observations of dead cork tissue by Robert Hooke in 1665. Hooke coined the term "cell" based on the resemblance of the small subdivisions in the cork to the rooms that monks inhabited, called cells. About ten years later, Antonie van Leeuwenhoek became the first person to observe the living and moving cells under a microscope. In the century that followed, the theory that cells represented the basic unit of life developed.
Multicellular organisms...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 2, 2026

High Throughput Single-cell and Multiple-cell Micro-encapsulation
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Cell-in-Shell Metacells in Single-Cell Nanoencapsulation.

Duc Tai Nguyen1, Nayoung Kim1, Sang Yeong Han1

  • 1Department of Chemistry, KAIST, Daejeon, Korea.

Chempluschem
|April 18, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Introducing metacells, engineered cell-in-shell systems, this study defines their core features: reconfigurability, loadability, and motility. This framework advances cell-based engineering for dynamic applications.

Keywords:
artificial sporescell‐in‐shell structuresmetacellsnanobiohybridssingle‐cell nanoencapsulation

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Area of Science:

  • Biotechnology
  • Materials Science
  • Synthetic Biology

Background:

  • Single-cell nanoencapsulation (SCNE) integrates synthetic materials with cells, enhancing cellular functions without genetic alteration.
  • Current SCNE applications in cytoprotection and cell-surface engineering are limited by a lack of a unifying conceptual framework.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To introduce and define
  • metacells
  • a novel class of engineered living cell-in-shell systems.
  • To establish a conceptual framework for metacells, highlighting their dynamic functionality, environmental responsiveness, and programmable behavior.

Main Methods:

  • Defining metacells by three core functional hallmarks: reconfigurability, loadability, and motility.
  • Illustrating metacell capabilities through selected examples showcasing their functionalities.

Main Results:

  • Metacells exhibit reconfigurability, loadability, and motility, distinguishing them from conventional SCNE platforms.
  • Examples demonstrate metacells sensing and responding to stimuli, carrying and releasing payloads, and exhibiting guided or autonomous motion.

Conclusions:

  • The proposed definition and framework for metacells provide a roadmap for future research in cell-based engineering.
  • Metacells have significant implications for advanced therapeutics, microscale robotics, and interactive biohybrid systems.