scholarly journals Development of Artificial Cell Models Using Microfluidic Technology and Synthetic Biology

Micromachines ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 559 ◽  
Author(s):  
Koki Kamiya
Keyword(s):  
Synthetic Biology ◽  
Cell Membrane ◽  
Lipid Bilayer ◽  
Lipid Membranes ◽  
Lipid Vesicles ◽  
Optical Microscope ◽  
Living Cells ◽  
Biochemical Properties ◽  
Cell Models ◽  
Artificial Cell

Giant lipid vesicles or liposomes are primarily composed of phospholipids and form a lipid bilayer structurally similar to that of the cell membrane. These vesicles, like living cells, are 5–100 μm in diameter and can be easily observed using an optical microscope. As their biophysical and biochemical properties are similar to those of the cell membrane, they serve as model cell membranes for the investigation of the biophysical or biochemical properties of the lipid bilayer, as well as its dynamics and structure. Investigation of membrane protein functions and enzyme reactions has revealed the presence of soluble or membrane proteins integrated in the giant lipid vesicles. Recent developments in microfluidic technologies and synthetic biology have enabled the development of well-defined artificial cell models with complex reactions based on the giant lipid vesicles. In this review, using microfluidics, the formations of giant lipid vesicles with asymmetric lipid membranes or complex structures have been described. Subsequently, the roles of these biomaterials in the creation of artificial cell models including nanopores, ion channels, and other membrane and soluble proteins have been discussed. Finally, the complex biological functions of giant lipid vesicles reconstituted with various types of biomolecules has been communicated. These complex artificial cell models contribute to the production of minimal cells or protocells for generating valuable or rare biomolecules and communicating between living cells and artificial cell models.

scholarly journals Formation of Giant Lipid Vesicles in the Presence of Nonelectrolytes—Glucose, Sucrose, Sorbitol and Ethanol

Processes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 945
Author(s):  
Qiong Wang ◽  
Ning Hu ◽  
Jincan Lei ◽  
Qiurong Qing ◽  
Jing Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sodium Chloride ◽  
Cell Membrane ◽  
Lipid Membranes ◽  
Volume Fraction ◽  
Hydrodynamic Force ◽  
Lipid Vesicles ◽  
Ethanol Solution ◽  
Sugar Solution ◽  
Ethanol Content ◽  
Membrane Models

Lipid vesicles, especially giant lipid vesicles (GLVs), are usually adopted as cell membrane models and their preparation has been widely studied. However, the effects of some nonelectrolytes on GLV formation have not been specifically studied so far. In this paper, the effects of the nonelectrolytes, including sucrose, glucose, sorbitol and ethanol, and their coexistence with sodium chloride, on the lipid hydration and GLV formation were investigated. With the hydration method, it was found that the sucrose, glucose and sorbitol showed almost the same effect. Their presence in the medium enhanced the hydrodynamic force on the lipid membranes, promoting the GLV formation. GLV formation was also promoted by the presence of ethanol with ethanol volume fraction in the range of 0 to 20 percent, but higher ethanol content resulted in failure of GLV formation. However, the participation of sodium chloride in sugar solution and ethanol solution stabilized the lipid membranes, suppressing the GLV formation. In addition, the ethanol and the sodium chloride showed the completely opposite effects on lipid hydration. These results could provide some suggestions for the efficient preparation of GLVs.

scholarly journals Effects of nanobubble collapse on cell membrane integrity

2017 ◽  
Vol 02 (02) ◽  
pp. 1750008
Author(s):  
Matthew Becton ◽  
Rodney Averett ◽  
Xianqiao Wang
Keyword(s):  
Cell Membrane ◽  
Lipid Bilayer ◽  
Lipid Membranes ◽  
Cavitation Bubble ◽  
Membrane Integrity ◽  
Particle Dynamic ◽  
Low Velocity ◽  
Cell Membrane Integrity ◽  
Model Cell ◽  
Shockwave Front

Recent studies have shown that ultrasound is used to open drug-carrying liposomes to release their payloads; however, a shockwave energetic enough to rupture lipid membranes can cause collateral damage to surrounding cells. Similarly, a destructive shockwave, which may be used to rupture a cell membrane in order to lyse the cell (e.g., as in cancer treatments) may also impair or destroy nearby healthy tissue. To address this problem, we use dissipative particle dynamic (DPD) simulation to investigate the addition of a cavitation bubble between the shockwave and the model cell membrane to alter the shockwave front, allowing low-velocity shockwaves to specifically damage an intended target. We focus specifically on a spherical lipid bilayer model, and note the effect of shockwave velocity, bubble size, and orientation on the damage to the model cell. We show that a cavitation bubble greatly decreases the necessary shockwave velocity required to damage the lipid bilayer and rupture the model cell. The cavitation bubble focuses the kinetic energy of the shockwave front into a smaller area, inducing penetration at the edge of the model cell. With this work, we provide a comprehensive approach to the intricacies of model cell destruction via shockwave impact, and hope to offer a guideline for initiating targeted cellular destruction using induced cavitation bubbles and low-velocity shockwaves.

scholarly journals Microfluidics for Artificial Life: Techniques for Bottom-Up Synthetic Biology

Micromachines ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Supramaniam ◽  
Ces ◽  
Salehi-Reyhani
Keyword(s):  
Synthetic Biology ◽  
Artificial Life ◽  
Living Cells ◽  
Cellular Biology ◽  
Artificial Cells ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Artificial Cell ◽  
Central Tenet ◽  
Cell Synthesis ◽  
New Generation

Synthetic biology is a rapidly growing multidisciplinary branch of science that exploits the advancement of molecular and cellular biology. Conventional modification of pre-existing cells is referred to as the top-down approach. Bottom-up synthetic biology is an emerging complementary branch that seeks to construct artificial cells from natural or synthetic components. One of the aims in bottom-up synthetic biology is to construct or mimic the complex pathways present in living cells. The recent, and rapidly growing, application of microfluidics in the field is driven by the central tenet of the bottom-up approach—the pursuit of controllably generating artificial cells with precisely defined parameters, in terms of molecular and geometrical composition. In this review we survey conventional methods of artificial cell synthesis and their limitations. We proceed to show how microfluidic approaches have been pivotal in overcoming these limitations and ushering in a new generation of complexity that may be imbued in artificial cells and the milieu of applications that result.

Artificial Cell Membrane-Mimicking Nanostructure Facilitates Efficient Gene Delivery through Fusogenic Interaction with the Plasma Membrane of Living Cells

Small ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 7 (21) ◽  
pp. 2991-2997 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sejin Son ◽  
Gahee Kim ◽  
Kaushik Singha ◽  
Samdae Park ◽  
Moonhor Ree ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Gene Delivery ◽  
Cell Membrane ◽  
Living Cells ◽  
Artificial Cell ◽  
Efficient Gene

Advancements on Preparation Methods of Artificial Cell Membrane with Lipids

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Yuan ◽  
Jiafang Piao ◽  
Yuanchen Dong
Keyword(s):  
Cell Membrane ◽  
Cell Membranes ◽  
Lipid Vesicles ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Biological Cell ◽  
Preparation Methods ◽  
Artificial Cell ◽  
And Function

In order to better understand the structure and function of the biological cell membrane, various artificial systems have been developed. Among them, unilamellar lipid vesicles (liposomes)-based artificial cell membranes have...

scholarly journals Cell penetration efficiency analysis of different atomic force microscopy nanoneedles into living cells

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcos Penedo ◽  
Tetsuya Shirokawa ◽  
Mohammad Shahidul Alam ◽  
Keisuke Miyazawa ◽  
Takehiko Ichikawa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atomic Force Microscopy ◽  
Cell Membrane ◽  
Cell Biology ◽  
Cell Damage ◽  
Efficiency Analysis ◽  
Living Cells ◽  
Biomolecular Recognition ◽  
Cell Penetration ◽  
Force Microscopy ◽  
Atomic Force

AbstractOver the last decade, nanoneedle-based systems have demonstrated to be extremely useful in cell biology. They can be used as nanotools for drug delivery, biosensing or biomolecular recognition inside cells; or they can be employed to select and sort in parallel a large number of living cells. When using these nanoprobes, the most important requirement is to minimize the cell damage, reducing the forces and indentation lengths needed to penetrate the cell membrane. This is normally achieved by reducing the diameter of the nanoneedles. However, several studies have shown that nanoneedles with a flat tip display lower penetration forces and indentation lengths. In this work, we have tested different nanoneedle shapes and diameters to reduce the force and the indentation length needed to penetrate the cell membrane, demonstrating that ultra-thin and sharp nanoprobes can further reduce them, consequently minimizing the cell damage.

Evolving protocells to prototissues: rational design of a missing link

2013 ◽  
Vol 41 (5) ◽  
pp. 1159-1165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shiksha Mantri ◽  
K. Tanuj Sapra
Keyword(s):  
Synthetic Biology ◽  
Rational Design ◽  
Structural Elements ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Missing Link ◽  
Hierarchical Assembly ◽  
Artificial Cell

Realization of a functional artificial cell, the so-called protocell, is a major challenge posed by synthetic biology. A subsequent goal is to use the protocellular units for the bottom-up assembly of prototissues. There is, however, a looming chasm in our knowledge between protocells and prototissues. In the present paper, we give a brief overview of the work on protocells to date, followed by a discussion on the rational design of key structural elements specific to linking two protocellular bilayers. We propose that designing synthetic parts capable of simultaneous insertion into two bilayers may be crucial in the hierarchical assembly of protocells into a functional prototissue.

scholarly journals Microfluidic platform enables tailored translocation and reaction cascades in nanoliter droplet networks

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Bachler ◽  
Dominik Haidas ◽  
Marion Ort ◽  
Todd A. Duncombe ◽  
Petra S. Dittrich
Keyword(s):  
Synthetic Biology ◽  
Lipid Membranes ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Microfluidic Platform ◽  
Alpha Hemolysin ◽  
Droplet Interface Bilayer ◽  
Translocation Experiments ◽  
Fluorescent Molecules ◽  
Reaction Cascades ◽  
Minimal Cells

AbstractIn the field of bottom-up synthetic biology, lipid membranes are the scaffold to create minimal cells and mimic reactions and processes at or across the membrane. In this context, we employ here a versatile microfluidic platform that enables precise positioning of nanoliter droplets with user-specified lipid compositions and in a defined pattern. Adjacent droplets make contact and form a droplet interface bilayer to simulate cellular membranes. Translocation of molecules across membranes are tailored by the addition of alpha-hemolysin to selected droplets. Moreover, we developed a protocol to analyze the translocation of non-fluorescent molecules between droplets with mass spectrometry. Our method is capable of automated formation of one- and two-dimensional droplet networks, which we demonstrated by connecting droplets containing different compound and enzyme solutions to perform translocation experiments and a multistep enzymatic cascade reaction across the droplet network. Our platform opens doors for creating complex artificial systems for bottom-up synthetic biology.

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