Using microfluidics to create and utilise anisotropy within protocells and protocell communities.

这个PHD的设计是为了从自然初级生命的各向异性模式中寻找灵感，并使用微流体技术在原始细胞和原始细胞克隆中模拟这些模式。各向异性在自然界中普遍存在，甚至在细胞发育的最早阶段就很明显，因此对现代生命的出现至关重要。各向异性还被用于各种实际应用中，例如药物输送、自组装和显示系统。该项目旨在模拟和利用原细胞设计和开发中的各向异性模式。微流体学是在微尺度上操纵流体的有力工具。基于液滴的微流体可以用来制造均匀的微形状，例如球形液滴、棒状物和圆盘。精心设计的微流控芯片也使生物材料能够封装在这些微形状中。该项目旨在利用微流控技术构建各向异性杆状原细胞，并将各向异性分布的原细胞封装在这些形状中，从而为原始细胞的信号和交流提供平台。因此，本PHD项目的总体轮廓是，使用基于液滴的微流体来构建各向异性的原始细胞，并探索在这些较大的亲本原始细胞中，各向异性间隔的原细胞域之间的化学信号传递。在更广泛的意义上，这个博士的目标是开发微流控技术在原细胞研究中的应用，并对各向异性如何产生不同产生深刻的理解。

This PhD is designed to seek inspiration from anisotropic patterns in natural primary life and to use microfluidic techniques to mimic these patterns within protocells and protocell colonies. Anisotropy is ubiquitous in the natural world, evident in even the earliest stages of cell development and thus essential for the emergence of modern life. Anisotropy is also utilised in a variety of practical applications such as in drug delivery, self-assembly and display systems. This project aims to mimic and utilise anisotropic patterns in protocell cell design and development. Microfluidics is a powerful tool for the manipulation of fluids on the microscale. A sub-category of which, droplet-based microfluidics, can be used to fabricate homogenous micro shapes for example, spherical droplets, rods and disks. Careful design of microfluidic chips also enables the encapsulation of biomaterials inside these micro shapes. This project aims to exploit microfluidic technologies to construct anisotropic rod-like protocells and to encapsulate anisotropic distributions of protocells within these shapes, leading to a platform for protocell signalling and communication.The general outline of this PhD project is thus, to construct anisotropic protocells using droplet-based microfluidics and to explore chemical signalling between anisotropically spaced protocell domains, within such larger parent protocells. In a broader sense, this PhD aims to develop microfluidic techniques for applications in protocell research, and to develop a deep understanding about how anisotropy makes a difference.