Modelling the Assembly of Artificial Cells into Artificial Organisms

合成生物学、高分子化学和微流体技术的最新进展使第一个“人造细胞”成为现实。这些实体是无生命的，微米大小的隔间，允许某些化学品与周围环境交换。其他生物分子，如酶，封装在细胞中，使可编程的代谢途径得以实施。** 现在是时候探索我们可以用可用的有效工具创造人工细胞的可能性了。该研究计划的总体目标是通过开发理论来模拟人工细胞或微型机器人，以指导这种探索，这些细胞或微型机器人表现出模仿生物体的集体行为和功能。** 我们受到形态发生的启发，几乎所有的生物，从细菌到人类，都形成了具有不同目的的不同结构。我们将构建描述人工细胞的模型，这些细胞使用化学信号相互通信，并自发形成“人工生物体”，其中特定类型的细胞集合在预定位置聚集在一起，就像生物有机体中的组织和器官发育一样。** 为了实现形态发生的合成版本，需要两种成分：（A）细胞定向运动的机制，以及（B）细胞之间的化学信号传导，以建立它们的相对位置。该研究计划将研究游泳微生物（如细菌）的生物学实例，以了解并提出在相对简单的人工细胞中实现受控运动的合适机制。重点将放在固体表面的存在下的运动。我们还将使用数学建模来设计相互作用的化学反应网络，以协调整个殖民地细胞的活动。** 人工细胞在医学上有许多用途，作为红细胞替代品和药物载体的应用已经受到科学界的广泛关注。在设计“智能”人工细胞方面取得的进展，可以监测患者的状况，前往身体的特定部位，并协调活动，这将是微创医疗保健领域的一项重大成就。研究微生物在表面附近的运动不仅对如何控制微型机器人或游动的人工细胞有意义，而且对细菌如何自然地在表面定居，导致生物膜的形成也有意义。生物膜的污染是生物医学植入物上的危险问题，并且在许多行业中也是昂贵的麻烦，例如航运、发电厂、水处理厂和水产养殖。预计我们的研究将导致设计抗生物污损表面的新策略。

Recent advances in synthetic biology, polymer chemistry, and microfluidics have made the first “artificial cells” a reality. These entities are non-living, micron-sized compartments that allow exchange of certain chemicals with the surrounding environment. Other biomolecules, such as enzymes, encapsulated in the cell enable programmable metabolic pathways to be implemented. ******It is now timely to explore the possibilities for artificial cells that we can create with the potent tools that are becoming available. The overarching goal of this research program is to guide this exploration by developing theory to model artificial cells, or microrobots, that exhibit collective behaviours and functionality mimicking those of living organisms. ******One process we are inspired by is morphogenesis, by which nearly all organisms, from bacteria to humans, form distinct structures with distinct purposes. We will construct models describing artificial cells that communicate with each other using chemical signals and spontaneously form “artificial organisms”, where collections of cells of a particular type cluster together in predetermined locations just as tissues and organs develop in biological organisms. ******To achieve our synthetic version of morphogenesis, two ingredients are needed: (A) mechanisms for directed motility of the cells, and (B) chemical signalling among cells to establish their relative locations. This research program will study biological examples of swimming microorganisms, such as bacteria, to understand and propose suitable mechanisms for achieving controlled motility in relatively simple artificial cells. An emphasis will be placed on locomotion in the presence of solid surfaces. We will also use mathematical modelling to design networks of interacting chemical reactions that coordinate activity throughout the colony of cells. ******Artificial cells have many uses in medicine; applications as red blood cell substitutes and drug carriers have already received much attention from the scientific community. Advances in designing “smart” artificial cells that can monitor conditions in a patient, travel to specific parts of the body, and coordinate activity would be a significant achievement in minimally invasive healthcare.******Investigating the motion of microorganisms near surfaces has implications not only for how to control microrobots or swimming artificial cells, but also how bacteria naturally colonise surfaces, leading to the formation of biofilms. Fouling by biofilms is a dangerous problem on biomedical implants and is also a costly nuisance in many industries, such as shipping, power plants, water treatment plants, and aquaculture. It is anticipated that our research will lead to new strategies for designing biofouling-resistant surfaces.