Nanoporous Silica-Based Protocells at Multiple Scales for Designs of Life and Nanomedicine
Various protocell models have been constructed de novo with the bottom-up approach. Here we describe a silica-based protocell composed of a nanoporous amorphous silica core encapsulated within a lipid bilayer built by self-assembly that provides for independent definition of cell interior and the su...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2015-01-01
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| Series: | Life |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/5/1/214 |
| _version_ | 1817996317479141376 |
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| author | Jie Sun Eric Jakobsson Yingxiao Wang C. Jeffrey Brinker |
| author_facet | Jie Sun Eric Jakobsson Yingxiao Wang C. Jeffrey Brinker |
| author_sort | Jie Sun |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Various protocell models have been constructed de novo with the bottom-up approach. Here we describe a silica-based protocell composed of a nanoporous amorphous silica core encapsulated within a lipid bilayer built by self-assembly that provides for independent definition of cell interior and the surface membrane. In this review, we will first describe the essential features of this architecture and then summarize the current development of silica-based protocells at both micro- and nanoscale with diverse functionalities. As the structure of the silica is relatively static, silica-core protocells do not have the ability to change shape, but their interior structure provides a highly crowded and, in some cases, authentic scaffold upon which biomolecular components and systems could be reconstituted. In basic research, the larger protocells based on precise silica replicas of cells could be developed into geometrically realistic bioreactor platforms to enable cellular functions like coupled biochemical reactions, while in translational research smaller protocells based on mesoporous silica nanoparticles are being developed for targeted nanomedicine. Ultimately we see two different motivations for protocell research and development: (1) to emulate life in order to understand it; and (2) to use biomimicry to engineer desired cellular interactions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-14T02:20:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-14949533663d4aed80270039ec7d9501 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-1729 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-14T02:20:34Z |
| publishDate | 2015-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Life |
| spelling | doaj.art-14949533663d4aed80270039ec7d95012022-12-22T02:18:03ZengMDPI AGLife2075-17292015-01-015121422910.3390/life5010214life5010214Nanoporous Silica-Based Protocells at Multiple Scales for Designs of Life and NanomedicineJie Sun0Eric Jakobsson1Yingxiao Wang2C. Jeffrey Brinker3Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USABeckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USADepartment of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USADepartment of Chemical and Nuclear Engineering, Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NW 87106, USAVarious protocell models have been constructed de novo with the bottom-up approach. Here we describe a silica-based protocell composed of a nanoporous amorphous silica core encapsulated within a lipid bilayer built by self-assembly that provides for independent definition of cell interior and the surface membrane. In this review, we will first describe the essential features of this architecture and then summarize the current development of silica-based protocells at both micro- and nanoscale with diverse functionalities. As the structure of the silica is relatively static, silica-core protocells do not have the ability to change shape, but their interior structure provides a highly crowded and, in some cases, authentic scaffold upon which biomolecular components and systems could be reconstituted. In basic research, the larger protocells based on precise silica replicas of cells could be developed into geometrically realistic bioreactor platforms to enable cellular functions like coupled biochemical reactions, while in translational research smaller protocells based on mesoporous silica nanoparticles are being developed for targeted nanomedicine. Ultimately we see two different motivations for protocell research and development: (1) to emulate life in order to understand it; and (2) to use biomimicry to engineer desired cellular interactions.http://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/5/1/214protocellnanoporous silicasynthetic biologysupported lipid bilayerFRETnanomedicinedesigns of life |
| spellingShingle | Jie Sun Eric Jakobsson Yingxiao Wang C. Jeffrey Brinker Nanoporous Silica-Based Protocells at Multiple Scales for Designs of Life and Nanomedicine Life protocell nanoporous silica synthetic biology supported lipid bilayer FRET nanomedicine designs of life |
| title | Nanoporous Silica-Based Protocells at Multiple Scales for Designs of Life and Nanomedicine |
| title_full | Nanoporous Silica-Based Protocells at Multiple Scales for Designs of Life and Nanomedicine |
| title_fullStr | Nanoporous Silica-Based Protocells at Multiple Scales for Designs of Life and Nanomedicine |
| title_full_unstemmed | Nanoporous Silica-Based Protocells at Multiple Scales for Designs of Life and Nanomedicine |
| title_short | Nanoporous Silica-Based Protocells at Multiple Scales for Designs of Life and Nanomedicine |
| title_sort | nanoporous silica based protocells at multiple scales for designs of life and nanomedicine |
| topic | protocell nanoporous silica synthetic biology supported lipid bilayer FRET nanomedicine designs of life |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/5/1/214 |
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