Dynamic synthetic cells based on liquid-liquid phase separation

Nicolas Martin (1)

1 CRPP - Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal

Living cells have long been a source of inspiration for chemists. Their capacity of performing complex tasks relies on the spatiotemporal coordination of matter and energy fluxes. Recent years have witnessed growing interest in the bottom-up construction of cell-like models capable of reproducing aspects of such dynamic organisation. Liquid-liquid phase-separation (LLPS) processes in water are increasingly recognised as a viable compartmentalisation strategy through which to produce dynamic synthetic cells. Herein, we highlight examples of the dynamic properties of LLPS used to assemble synthetic cells, including their biocatalytic activity, reversible condensation and dissolution, growth and division, and recent directions towards the design of higher-order structures and behaviour.

Mots clés: compartmentalisation; liquid-liquid phase separation; microdroplets; synthetic cells; coacervation

Domaines: Chimie; Matière Molle [cond-mat.soft]; Biotechnologies

Nicolas Martin. Dynamic synthetic cells based on liquid-liquid phase separation. ChemBioChem, 2019, Special Issue: Bottom‐up Synthetic Biology, 20 (20), pp.2553-2568. ⟨10.1002/cbic.201900183⟩. ⟨hal-02329547⟩