CAREER: Aqueous Multiphase Assembly of Membraneless Synthetic Cell Structures: Research, Education and Outreach

职业：无膜合成细胞结构的水相多相组装：研究、教育和推广

• 批准号: 2048051
• 负责人: Nick Carroll
• 金额: $ 50.86万
• 依托单位: University of New Mexico
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-08-01 至 2026-07-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2048051&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CAREER; Aqueous; Multiphase; Assembly; Membraneless

Cells communicate between compartments to organize the reactions that support life. Synthetic cells also need to be able to communicate in order to exhibit useful traits, such as sensing other organisms and responding to external cues in specific ways. The cues might be small molecules, or they might be proteins, RNA, or DNA. This project will explore using bioinspired aqueous multiphase systems to create synthetic membraneless cells programmed to express and display messenger proteins, and communicate using protein signals. The project will also support training and education of Native American students. A partnership with Navajo Technical University (NTU) will deliver a cross-institutional synthetic biology course and a funded UNM summer research internship for NTU students. This project aims to create aqueous multiphase membrane free synthetic cell systems capable of chemical communication by exchange of an expressed protein messenger between sending and receiving synthetic cells. Testing of these concepts will take place in a cell-free protein synthesis system. Transcription and translation reagents will induce synthesis of a fluorescent messenger protein in sender cells and transferred to receiver cells. Success will provide a proof-of-principle that thermodynamic control mechanisms enabled by genetically encoded biomaterials can drive chemical communication between membraneless synthetic cells. Design rules for control of signaling and biological activity within hierarchical, aqueous multiple phase systems will be developed. Membrane free synthetic cells could be used to produce biomolecules, deliver drugs, monitor the environment, or enhance tissue engineering.This project is jointly funded by the Cellular and Biochemical Engineering Program in ENG/CBET and by the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

细胞间的交流是为了组织支持生命的反应。合成细胞还需要能够进行通信，以表现出有用的特性，例如感知其他生物并以特定方式对外部线索做出反应。这些线索可能是小分子，也可能是蛋白质、RNA或DNA。该项目将探索使用生物启发的水性多相系统来创建合成的无膜细胞，这些细胞被编程为表达和展示信使蛋白，并使用蛋白质信号进行通信。该项目还将支持美洲土著学生的培训和教育。 与纳瓦霍技术大学（NTU）的合作伙伴关系将为NTU学生提供跨机构合成生物学课程和资助的UNM夏季研究实习。该项目旨在创建水性多相无膜合成细胞系统，该系统能够通过在发送和接收合成细胞之间交换表达的蛋白质信使进行化学通讯。这些概念的测试将在无细胞蛋白质合成系统中进行。转录和翻译试剂将诱导发送细胞中荧光信使蛋白的合成并转移到接收细胞。成功将提供一个原理证明，即由基因编码的生物材料实现的热力学控制机制可以驱动无膜合成细胞之间的化学通讯。 将开发用于控制分层含水多相系统内的信号和生物活性的设计规则。无膜合成细胞可用于生产生物分子、输送药物、监测环境，该项目由ENG/CBET的细胞和生物化学工程项目和刺激竞争性研究的既定项目（EPSCoR）共同资助。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的评估被认为值得支持。影响审查标准。