Protected dimeric protein pores for selective interface between living and artificial systems

突触使细胞间的物质交换成为可能。人工细胞（ACs）——表现出细胞样行为的微型机器人——在基础生物学和医疗保健领域有着巨大的前景，而在人工细胞和生物细胞之间形成突触的能力将开启新的、强大的诊断和治疗解决方案。然而，自然突触的复杂性使得它们在ACs中的重构具有挑战性，这表明需要重新构建途径来建立类似突触的功能。为了克服这一障碍，拟议中的项目将结合蛋白质工程和DNA纳米技术来创建一个分子工具包，使ACs能够与细胞形成合成突触。

Synapses enable exchange of material between cells. Artificial cells (ACs) - microrobots displaying cell-like behaviours - hold great promise in fundamental biology and healthcare, and the ability to form synapses between artificial and biological cells would unlock new and powerful diagnostic and therapeutic solutions. However, the complexity of natural synapses makes their reconstitution in ACs challenging, pointing at the need for de novo routes to establish synapse-like functionalities. To overcome this hurdle, the proposed project will combine protein engineering and DNA nanotechnology to create a molecular toolkit that will afford ACs with the ability to form synthetic synapses with cells.