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Related Concept Videos

pH Homeostasis01:31

pH Homeostasis

Acid-base homeostasis is essential for maintaining normal physiological activities in humans. The pH of various body fluids is strictly regulated because it is critical for the optimal activity of enzymes involved in metabolic reactions. Enzymes are basically proteins, so, any significant change in pH can affect their structure and activity. In humans, pH is regulated using three primary mechanisms— chemical buffer systems, respiratory regulation, and renal regulation.
Respiratory Regulation of...
Positive and Negative Feedback Loops01:18

Positive and Negative Feedback Loops

Animal organs and organ systems constantly adjust to internal and external changes through a process called homeostasis ("steady state"). Examples of these changes include regulation of the level of glucose or calcium in the blood or internal responses to external temperatures. Homeostasis requires  maintaining an internal dynamic equilibrium:
pH Regulation in Cells01:28

pH Regulation in Cells

pH plays a critical role in maintaining normal cellular activities. It helps maintain the structure and function of various proteins, dictates the charge on cellular membranes, and is crucial for metabolic reactions inside the cell. Moreover, cells use the energy from the proton motive force to generate ATP.
Cytosolic pH
Under physiological conditions, the cytosolic pH is slightly more acidic than the extracellular pH. However, cells must prevent further acidification of their cytosol to...
iChip01:24

iChip

The cultivation of environmental microorganisms has long been hindered by the inability to replicate complex native conditions in vitro. The isolation chip (iChip) addresses this limitation by facilitating the growth of previously uncultivable microorganisms through in situ incubation. Designed for high-throughput microbial cultivation, the iChip comprises hundreds of microchambers, each capable of housing a single microbial cell. These microchambers are loaded with a mixture of molten agar and...
Modified-Release Drug Delivery Systems: Stimuli-Activated01:30

Modified-Release Drug Delivery Systems: Stimuli-Activated

Stimuli-activated drug delivery systems are designed to release drugs in response to specific physical, chemical, or biological stimuli. These systems often utilize hydrogels—three-dimensional, hydrophilic polymer networks capable of swelling in aqueous environments and retaining significant fluid volumes. Upon exposure to particular stimuli, these hydrogels undergo structural transitions that allow the embedded drug to be released. Due to this adaptive behavior, such systems are also called...
Microenvironments01:22

Microenvironments

Microorganisms inhabit highly localized spaces known as microenvironments, which are defined by distinct physical and chemical characteristics. These include oxygen concentration, pH, temperature, light availability, and nutrient levels. The conditions within a microenvironment can differ markedly from those in the surrounding area and significantly influence microbial growth, metabolism, and community structure.Microenvironments often display sharp physicochemical gradients over small spatial...

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Transforming Static Barrier Tissue Models into Dynamic Microphysiological Systems
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Autonomous and Communicative Microcapsule Systems for Life-Like Homeostatic pH Regulation.

Hongda Zhou1,2, James Smith2, Rui Cheng3

  • 1School of Chemical Engineering and Technology and State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering and Low-Carbon Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, P. R. China.

Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|May 13, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers developed a programmable microcapsule system for life-like pH regulation. This synthetic material uses enzymatic networks to achieve autonomous control and communication, mimicking biological systems for advanced applications.

Keywords:
3D‐printed microfluidicfeedbackhomeostasispH regulationresponsive microcapsule

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Area of Science:

  • Biomimetic materials science
  • Chemical engineering
  • Synthetic biology

Background:

  • Life relies on intercellular communication for homeostasis and collective behavior.
  • Replicating autonomous control in synthetic materials presents significant challenges.
  • Existing synthetic systems lack dynamic, life-like regulatory capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To engineer a programmable synthetic material system that emulates life-like homeostatic pH regulation.
  • To develop a dual-microcapsule system utilizing antagonistic enzymatic networks.
  • To demonstrate autonomous control and communication in engineered materials.

Main Methods:

  • Fabrication of urease microcapsules (UMCs) and esterase microcapsules (EMCs) using microfluidics and surface co-assembly.
  • Utilization of a 3D-printed microfluidic device with hybrid junction geometry and epoxy post-coating for defect-free channels.
  • Integration of pH-mediated negative feedback and adaptive shell permeability within individual capsules.

Main Results:

  • Stable droplet production and precise microsphere fabrication achieved.
  • Programmable pH oscillations and feedback-controlled pH stabilization demonstrated in mixed capsule populations.
  • The system exhibited robust response to external pH control, long-term cycling stability, and inter-capsule communication.

Conclusions:

  • The dual-microcapsule system successfully emulates life-like homeostatic pH regulation.
  • This platform offers a versatile route for engineering communicative, autonomous, and adaptive material systems.
  • Potential applications include biomedical devices, environmental regulation, and soft control through chemical signaling.