Bidirectional Communication between Droplet Interface Bilayers Driven by Cell‐Free Quorum Sensing Gene Circuits

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Bidirectional Communication between Droplet Interface Bilayers Driven by Cell-Free Quorum Sensing Gene Circuits**

Building communicating synthetic cells using droplet interface bilayers encapsulating cell-free expression systems with quorum sensing gene circuits.


Abstract

Building synthetic multicellular systems using non-living molecular components is a grand challenge in the field of bottom-up synthetic biology. Towards this goal, a diverse range of chemistries have been developed to provide mechanisms of intercellular communication and methods to assemble multicellular compartments. However, building bottom-up synthetic multicellular systems is still challenging because it requires the integration of intercellular reaction networks with compatible cellular compartment properties. In this study, we encapsulated cell-free expression systems (CFES) expressing two quorum sensing genetic circuits into droplet interface bilayer (DIB) synthetic cells to demonstrate bidirectional communication. We further develop a method of generating custom DIB multicellular structures by acoustic liquid handling to automatically dispense the CFES droplets and show the potential for multiplexing compartmentalized gene circuits for generating heterogeneous populations of cells. Our work provides a step towards building more complex multicellular systems with intercellular communication from the bottom-up to study and experimentally model biological multiscalar processes.

Synthesis Methods of Fe3O4 Nanoparticles for Biomedical Applications

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Synthesis Methods of Fe3O4 Nanoparticles for Biomedical Applications

Effective processes for synthesizing magnetic nanoparticles are coprecipitation and hydrothermal method due to simplicity, low energy demand, and uniform and homogeneous crystals for hyperthermia and drug delivery applications. Reduction of toxicity, green synthesis, natural resources, conducting clinical trials, and how to activate the ions from biomaterials are objectives of future research.


Abstract

Magnetic nanoparticles made from organic and inorganic materials have gained significant technological progress and are widely applied in biomedicine, including magnetic resonance imaging, targeted drug delivery systems, biosensors, hyperthermia, and tissue engineering. The most reported synthesis methods include hydrothermal, sol-gel, laser ablation, microemulsion, and ball-milling methods. The synthesis parameters have a strong correlation with essential properties, such as phase, size, and surface morphology, which greatly influence the macroscopic properties and potential applications of the particles. Different preparation methods result in magnetic nanoparticles with varying characteristics, and the appropriate method can be chosen based on the requirements of the specific application. Two effective methods for synthesizing magnetic nanoparticles are coprecipitation and hydrothermal method because the preparation is relatively simple with low energy consumption, and uniform and homogeneous crystals are obtained.