The Usual Suspects 2019: of Chips, Droplets, Synthesis, and Artificial Cells

Eilenberger, Christoph; Spitz, Sarah; Bachmann, Barbara; Ehmoser, Eva-Kathrin; Ertl, Peter; Rothbauer, Mario

doi:10.3390/mi10050285

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 73 publications

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“…Recent advances in microfabrication technologies for the fabrication of colorful droplets, microgels, and microspheres have greatly broadened their applications. The utilization of microfluidic methods for biosynthesizing has drawn increasing attention, and one of the eye‐catching emerging applications is the microfluidic platform based artificial cell fabrication …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microfluidics for Biosynthesizing: from Droplets and Vesicles to Artificial Cells

Xie

Xiong

et al. 2019

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Fabrication of artificial biomimetic materials has attracted abundant attention. As one of the subcategories of biomimetic materials, artificial cells are highly significant for multiple disciplines and their synthesis has been intensively pursued. In order to manufacture robust “alive” artificial cells with high throughput, easy operation, and precise control, flexible microfluidic techniques are widely utilized. Herein, recent advances in microfluidic‐based methods for the synthesis of droplets, vesicles, and artificial cells are summarized. First, the advances of droplet fabrication and manipulation on the T‐junction, flow‐focusing, and coflowing microfluidic devices are discussed. Then, the formation of unicompartmental and multicompartmental vesicles based on microfluidics are summarized. Furthermore, the engineering of droplet‐based and vesicle‐based artificial cells by microfluidics is also reviewed. Moreover, the artificial cells applied for imitating cell behavior and acting as bioreactors for synthetic biology are highlighted. Finally, the current challenges and future trends in microfluidic‐based artificial cells are discussed. This review should be helpful for researchers in the fields of microfluidics, biomaterial fabrication, and synthetic biology.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microfluidics for Biosynthesizing: from Droplets and Vesicles to Artificial Cells

Xie

Xiong

et al. 2019

Small

118

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“…, by silica coating the alginate beads . Another approach for the intensification of the CFPS reactions is the integration into microfluidic platforms, which are gaining significant momentum in the CFPS applications . The automation, precise sample manipulation, and short time reactions of microfluidics offer great improvements to increase the efficiency of the process.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Microcompartmentalized Cell-Free Protein Synthesis in Hydrogel μ-Channels

et al. 2020

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The rapid demand for protein-based molecules has stimulated much research on cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS); however, there are still many challenges in terms of cost-efficiency, process intensification, and sustainability. Herein, we describe the microcompartmentalization of CFPS of superfolded green fluorescent protein (sGFP) in alginate hydrogels, which were casted into a μ-channel device. CFPS was optimized for the microcompartmentalized environment and characterized in terms of synthesis yield. To extend the scope of this technology, the use of other biocompatible materials (collagen, laponite, and agarose) was explored. In addition, the diffusion of sGFP from the hydrogel microenvironment to the bulk was demonstrated, opening a promising opportunity for concurrent synthesis and delivery of proteins. Finally, we provide an application for this system: the CFPS of enzymes. The present design of the hydrogel μ-channel device may enhance the potential application of microcompartmentalized CFPS in biosensing, bioprototyping, and therapeutic development.

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