A new design for an artificial cell: polymer microcapsules with addressable inner compartments that can harbor biomolecules, colloids or microbial species

Chemical Science
Annie Xi LuSrinivasa R Raghavan

Abstract

Eukaryotic cells have an architecture consisting of multiple inner compartments (organelles) such as the nucleus, mitochondria, and lysosomes. Each organelle is surrounded by a distinct membrane and has unique internal contents; consequently, each organelle has a distinct function within the cell. In this study, we create biopolymer microcapsules having a compartmentalized architecture as in eukaryotic cells. To make these capsules, we present a biocompatible method that solely uses aqueous media (i.e., avoids the use of oil phases), requires no sacrificial templates, and employs a minimal number of steps. Our approach exploits the electrostatic complexation of oppositely charged polymers dissolved in aqueous media. Specifically, droplets of an anionic biopolymer are generated using a simple microcapillary device, with the droplets being sheared off the capillary tip by pulses of gas (air or nitrogen). The liquid droplets are then introduced into a reservoir whereupon they encounter multivalent cations as well as a cationic biopolymer; thereby, a solid shell is formed around each droplet by electrostatic interactions between the polymers while the core is ionically cross-linked into a gel. In the next step, a discrete number of...Continue Reading

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Citations

Jul 13, 2018·Chemical Society Reviews·Wen LiDavid A Weitz
Nov 19, 2020·Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews. Nanomedicine and Nanobiotechnology·Xiaomin QianBrigitte Städler
Dec 29, 2020·Journal of Controlled Release : Official Journal of the Controlled Release Society·Fatemeh ArasteMona Alibolandi
Feb 6, 2021·The Journal of Biological Chemistry·Hiroya TangeNoriyuki Nishida
May 11, 2021·Small·Isabella Nymann WestenseeBrigitte Städler
Apr 4, 2019·Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids·Hairong JingDehai Liang
Sep 5, 2019·ACS Central Science·Alexander F MasonLoai K E A Abdelmohsen
Jul 13, 2019·ACS Nano·Ahanjit Bhattacharya, Neal K Devaraj
Mar 22, 2020·Journal of the American Chemical Society·Mingmin LiYao Chen

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Methods Mentioned

BETA
fluorescence microscopy

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