truebmb,prl04/01/2024Life without lipids: Building toward 'artificial cells'Spartan researchers join a nationwide team to create a new way to design cell-sized microfactories that could help make medicines, biofuels and more.
  • Researchers from Michigan State University, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Pennsylvania State University and the University of Delaware teamed up to create a new way to design cell-sized reactors.
  • Drawing inspiration from bacteria and forces at work in the biological world, the team created protein-coated shells that can be packed with active cargo including enzymes and RNA.
  • Published in the journal Small, these “artificial cells” could open new paths to myriad useful things, including medicines, biofuels and a deeper understanding of fundamental biological principles.
Matt DavenportSeveral blue droplets ringed by red circles fluoresce against a black background in a microscope image. A scale bar shows the droplets range between about 10 and 20 micrometers in diameter.Several blue droplets ringed by red circles fluoresce against a black background in a microscope image. A scale bar shows the droplets range between about 10 and 20 micrometers in diameter.