Microfluidic compartmentalization of diffusively coupled oscillators in multisomes induces a novel synchronization scenario

Abstract

Multisome compartments encapsulating the Belousov–Zhabotinsky reaction produced by microfluidics arranged in 1D arrays showed a novel type of global synchronization.

Stochastic pH Oscillations in a Model of the Urea–Urease Reaction Confined to Lipid Vesicles

“…Furthermore, there is a growing interest in chemical oscillators for applications. [15][16][17][18][19] This motivates the question whether stable limit cycles persist and how they change upon downscaling from the macroscopic to, e.g., intracellular reaction volumes. Indeed, the cytoplasm is a highly heterogeneous medium exhibiting macromolecular crowding and compartmentalization, with repercussions on the reaction kinetics.…”

From Transport Phenomena to Systems Chemistry: Chemohydrodynamic Oscillations in A+B→C Systems

“…Conceptually, chemo‐hydrodynamic scenarios adhere to the evidence that patterns and functional behaviours in biology generally involves a tight and cooperative combination of both chemical signals and transport phenomena [63] . This aspect, currently attracting the attention of several groups in nonlinear chemistry, is typically explored by using as model systems nonlinear chemical oscillators encapsulated in heterogeneous compartments such as micelles, vesicles and microemulsions and communicating via active diffusion (i. e. involving a cooperative feedback with reaction) and passive diffusion (simply driven by concentration gradients) [39–41] . In these approaches the two elements at the basis of the development of life‐like structures described above, i. e. compartimentalisation and nonlinear chemical kinetics able to sustain self‐organised behaviours, are integral part of the system.…”

“…Chemical oscillators and autocatalytic reactions combined with chemo‐responsive gels can produce mechanochemical contraction‐relaxation cycles [36] which can be exploited for artificial muscles, self‐locomotion, smart strategies for drug delivery [37] and to trigger cell division [38] . Chemical oscillators encapsulated in compartimentalised structures are also used to imitate synthetic neurons as well as to get into chemical communication strategies and collective cellular synchronisation at the basis of organs activity and brain‐like processes [39–41] …”

“…[38] Chemical oscillators encapsulated in compartimentalised structures are also used to imitate synthetic neurons as well as to get into chemical communication strategies and collective cellular synchronisation at the basis of organs activity and brain-like processes. [39][40][41] However, despite rather simple autocatalytic reactions being well documented, [42] the establishment of complex chemical kinetics requires simultaneous and spatially localised multi-body interactions, occurring on suitable relative time- [31] as a possible mechanism at the basis of DNA trapping and replication in early-life environments. Thermophoresis provides a means for DNA molecules accumulation sustained by externally sustained temperature gradients (the flux of the molecules is parallel to a spatial temperature gradient as illustrated in panel b)) while thermally-driven convective cycles (cartooned in panel a)) sustain the periodic binding and unbinding processes between single-and double-stranded DNA, in cold and hot regions, respectively.…”

Tip Streaming of a Lipid-Stabilized Double Emulsion Generated in a Microfluidic Channel

“…10 The DEs are used as templates for the preparation of other materials including among others giant phospholipid vesicles, [13][14][15] polymersomes, [16][17] hole-shell particles 18 or as a model of microreactors for the synthesis of biomaterials 13 and the study of complex biological processes. [19][20][21][22] Several studies on deformation, breakup and/or tip-streaming of single emulsions in flow systems have been reported, 8,[23][24][25] but less on DEs. While the behavior of single emulsions can be described by the interfacial tension and the viscosity ratio between the droplet and the continuous flowing outer fluid, the flow dynamics of multiple emulsions require several additional parameters to account for multiple interfaces and the presence of domain with different viscosities.…”