ACS Nano
·
2020
·
IF 14.588
Shipei Zhu,Joe Forth,Ganhua Xie,Youchuang Chao,Jingxuan Tian,Thomas P. Russell,Ho Cheung Shum
Producing artificial multicellular structures to process multistep cascade reactions and mimic the fundamental aspects of living systems is an outstanding challenge. Highly biocompatible, artificial systems consisting of all-aqueous, compartmentalized multicellular systems have yet to be realized. Here, a rapid multilevel compartmentalization of an all-aqueous system where a 3D sheet of subcolloidosomes encloses a mother colloidosome by interfacial phase separation is demonstrated. These spatially organized multicellular structures are termed “blastosomes” since they are similar to blastula in appearance. The barrier to nanoparticle assembly at the water–water interface is overcome using oppositely charged polyelectrolytes that form a coacervate–nanoparticle–composite network. The conditions required to trigger interfacial phase separation and form blastosomes are quantified in a mapped state diagram. We show a versatile model for constructing artificial multicellular spheroids in all-aqueous systems. The rapid interfacial assembly of charged particles and polyelectrolytes can lock in nonequilibrium shapes of water, which also enables top-down technologies, such as 3D printing and microfluidics, to program flexible compartmentalized structures.
研究领域:
生物化学
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合成生物学
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材料科学
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering
·
2025
·
IF 7.3
Yixin Cai,Louqian Zhang,Weixia Cheng,Wenxuan Xu,Kangrui Yuan,Ranhua Xiong,Chaobo Huang
Various active substances are encapsulated within microspheres’ independent compartments, forming an orderly system that can effectively improve chemical reaction efficiency and system stability. Herein, chitosan-based three-compartment microspheres (TCMs) were reported that encapsulate three enzymes in an orderly manner through a gas-shearing strategy. The TCMs can effectively enhance the efficiency of multienzyme cascade reactions, simultaneously controlling blood sugar levels and effectively scavenging ROS. The three compartments of TCMs independently encapsulated glucose oxidase (GOD)/insulin, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and horseradish peroxidase (HRP), corresponding to the insulin releasing unit, superoxide radical (•O2–) scavenging unit, and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) scavenging unit. TCMs confine the enzyme cascade reaction within the same microsphere, significantly reducing the transmission distance of chemical signals and increasing the concentration of the reaction substrates. TCMs demonstrate a higher cascade catalytic efficiency than one-compartment microspheres (OCMs). In vitro experiments show that TCMs significantly reverse the increased oxidative stress. This high-efficiency multienzyme cascade reaction enables TCMs to promote insulin absorption and effectively control blood sugar levels in insulin-resistant cell model experiments. The multicompartmental structure of TCMs is capable of independently encapsulating multiple active substances, making them attractive carrier materials for biomedicine, food, and cosmetics applications.
研究领域:
生物医学工程
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材料科学
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药物递送
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
·
2025
·
IF 6.3
Ran Zhang,Xubo Fan,Xiaoyue Xu,Wenjing Niu,Yuanli Cai
Complex coacervates provide a powerful platform to explore life-like reaction functions. However, the droplet compartmentalization and compartment-specific viscoelasticity control for reaction (in)activation toward life-like functionality and adaptivity are of great challenge. Herein, we present a liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) scaffold-client platform for self-adaptable reaction (in)activation under aqueous RAFT conditions in dilution in the presence of air. Self-assembly of dodecyl-containing amphiphilic cationic polyelectrolyte (C12-Polyelectrolyte) leads to the droplet scaffold with compartmentalization into densely-charged C12-rich dense-phase compartments and NHR 3 + -rich dilute-phase compartments, showing extremely high salt-resistance up to 4.5 M NaCl via “salting-out” driven droplet shrinkage. Precise recruitment of anionic aspartic acid acrylamide monomer ( clients ) into dense-phase compartments maintaining liquid dilute-phase compartments, leads to the catalytic coacervates that can activate ultrafast oxygen-tolerant retardation-free photo-RAFT polymerization in < 2 % w/w monomer dilution (98 % conversion in 20 min). Nevertheless, excess monomer recruitment to dilute-phase compartments leads to droplet hardening and droplet-to-lamella transition, resulting in reaction inactivation involving kinetically-trapped retardation and kinetically-frozen inhibition (overnight reaction: 0 % conversion). This self-adaptable reaction (in)activation highlights pivotal roles of droplet compartmentalization and compartment-specific viscoelasticity control in life-like reaction functions, and provides simple guidelines for rational design of catalytic coacervate nanoreactors toward life-like functionality and adaptivity.
研究领域:
高分子化学
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软物质物理
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化学生物学
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纳米反应器
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合成生物学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
Polymer Chemistry
·
2017
·Vol. 8
·期 24
·3755-3763
·
IF 5.375
Zhigang Cui,Hui Cao,Yi Ding,Pan Gao,Xinhua Lu,Yuanli Cai
Herein, we present supramolecular compartmentalization of an ABC triblock copolymer single-chain nanoparticle (SCNP) using coordination-driven orthogonal intramolecular self-assembly in aqueous solution. A well-defined ABC-type triblock copolymer was synthesized via visible-light-mediated RAFT aqueous sequential block copolymerization. It possesses protonated imidazolium-motifs in the A-, NH3+-motifs in C-, and hydroxyl-motifs in B-block. Coordination-driven orthogonal self-assembly locally occurring upon deprotonation (A-block within pH 3.3–4.4 and C-block within pH 5.3–6.4) has been evidenced by UV-vis spectroscopy, 1H NMR, dynamic light scattering (DLS), NMR diffusion-ordered spectroscopy (DOSY), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). A blank regime of pH 4.4–5.3 guarantees locally orthogonal intramolecular self-assembly without mutual interference. Dialysis and pH-cycling results illustrate that the inherent different subdomains are discrete and can individually respond to an external stimulus, with potential biomimetic functions in terms of sub-10 nm ultrafine internal heterogeneity.
研究领域:
材料科学
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化学
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纳米技术
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生物材料
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
Nature Communications
·
2024
·Vol. 15
·期 1
·1-9
·
IF 14.7
Qi Cheng,Ma Xudong,Zeng Qi,Huang Zhangwei,Zhang Shanshan,Deng Xiaokang,Kong Tiantian,Liu Zhou
Hierarchical compartmentalization, a hallmark of both primitive and modern cells, enables the concentration and isolation of biomolecules, and facilitates spatial organization of biochemical reactions. Coacervate-based compartments can sequester and recruit a large variety of molecules, making it an attractive protocell model. In this work, we report the spontaneous formation of core-shell cell-sized coacervate-based compartments driven by spontaneous evaporation of a sessile droplet on a thin-oil-coated substrate. Our analysis reveals that such far-from-equilibrium architectures arise from multiple, coupled segregative and associative liquid-liquid phase separation, and are stabilized by stagnation points within the evaporating droplet. The formation of stagnation points results from convective capillary flows induced by the maximum evaporation rate at the liquid-liquid-air contact line. This work provides valuable insights into the spontaneous formation and maintenance of hierarchical compartments under non-equilibrium conditions, offering a glimpse into the real-life scenario.
研究领域:
化学
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生物物理学
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细胞生物学
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物理化学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
WATER RESEARCH
·
2024
·
IF 11.4
Bin Wang,Hang Xu,Yu Liu,Kaiping Zhou,Xinyu Li,Deyang Kong,Jinmei Chen,Yujie He,Rong Ji
Phytoremediation is an effective solution to treat pollution with antibiotic compounds in aquatic environments; however, the underlying mechanisms for plants to cope with antibiotic pollutants are obscure. Here we used cell suspension culture to investigate the distribution and transformation of ciprofloxacin (CIP) in common reed ( Phragmites australis ) plants, as well as the accompanying phenotypic and metabolic responses of plants. By means of radioactive isotope labelling, we found that in total 68 % of CIP was transformed via intracellular Phase I transformation (reduction and methylation), Phase Ⅱ conjugation (glycosylation), and Phase Ⅲ compartmentalization (cell-bound residue formation mainly in cell walls, 23 %). The reduction and glycosylation products were secreted by the cells. To mitigate stress induced by CIP and its transformation products, the cells activated the defense system by up-regulating both intra- and extra-cellular antioxidant metabolites ( e.g. , catechin, l -cystine, and dehydroascorbic acid), anti-C/N metabolism disorder metabolites ( e.g. , succinic acid), secreting signaling ( e.g. , nicotinic acid), and anti-stress ( e.g. , allantoin) metabolites. Notably, the metabolic reprogramming could be involved in the CIP transformation process ( e.g. , glycosylation). Our findings reveal the strategy of wetland plants to cope with the stress from CIP by transforming the xenobiotic compound and reprogramming metabolism, and provide novel insights into the fate of antibiotics and plant defense mechanisms during phytoremediation.
研究领域:
环境科学
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植物生理学
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药理学
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毒理学
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代谢组学
✓ 已验证
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering
·
2024
·
IF 5.4
Zhongqiao Gan,Haitao Liu,Xinyuan Qin,Kaituo Wang,Xiang Li,Fuwei Xie,Jianhua Qin
Droplets, tiny liquid compartments, are increasingly emerging in the biomedical and biomanufacturing fields due to their unique properties to serve as templates or independent reaction units. Currently, the straightforward and efficient generation of various functional droplets in a biofriendly manner remains challenging. Herein, a novel microfluidic-assisted pneumatic strategy is described for the customizable and high-throughput production of monodispersed droplets, and the droplet size can be precisely controlled via a simplified gas pressure regulation module. In particular, numerous uniform alginate microcarriers can be rapidly fabricated in an all-aqueous manner, wherein the encapsulated islet or liver cells exhibit favorable viability and biological functions. Furthermore, by changing the microchannel configuration, several fluid manipulation functions developed by microfluidic technology, such as mixing and laminar flow, can be successfully incorporated into this platform. The droplet generators with scalable functionality are demonstrated in many biomanufacturing scenarios, including on-demand distribution of cell-mimetic particles, continuous synthesis of biomedical metal–organic framework (MOF), controllable preparation of compartmental microgel, etc. These may provide sustainable inspiration for developing droplet generators and their applications in tissue and organ engineering, biomaterials design, bioprinting nozzles, and other fields.
研究领域:
生物技术
·
生物工程
·
组织工程
·
生物制造
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微流控
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细胞生物学
·
材料科学
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
危险品化学品经营许可证（带存储）