Polymersomes as protocellular constructs

Mason, Alexander F.; Thordarson, Pall

doi:10.1002/pola.28780

Cited by 36 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 78 publications

(96 reference statements)

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“…Tuning the chemical composition of the amphiphiles can dictate a preferred orientation of the amphiphile within the membrane. [166][167][168][169] This is particularly advantageous for polymersomes as the block copolymer length is easily adjustable synthetically in contrast to liposomes as discussed in Section IId. Mixing two diblock copolymers with differently sized hydrophilic blocks could result in a hydrophilic block with the smaller volume in the inner membrane and the larger one on the outer membrane for example with PS 295 -b-PAA n (n = 12 or 74) polymersomes (100 nm).…”

Section: (A) Membrane Functionalitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Liposomes and polymersomes: a comparative review towards cell mimicking

et al. 2018

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Cells are integral to all forms of life due to their compartmentalization by the plasma membrane. However, living organisms are immensely complex. Thus there is a need for simplified and controllable models of life for a deeper understanding of fundamental biological processes and man-made applications. This is where the bottom-up approach of synthetic biology comes from: a stepwise assembly of biomimetic functionalities ultimately into a protocell. A fundamental feature of such an endeavor is the generation and control of model membranes such as liposomes and polymersomes. We compare and contrast liposomes and polymersomes for a better a priori choice and design of vesicles and try to understand the advantages and shortcomings associated with using one or the other in many different aspects (properties, synthesis, self-assembly, applications) and which aspects have been studied and developed with each type and update the current development in the field.

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Section: (A) Membrane Functionalitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Liposomes and polymersomes: a comparative review towards cell mimicking

et al. 2018

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“…A mphiphilic block copolymer vesicles (or polymersomes) 1,2 have emerged as attractive artificial systems mimicking basic properties thought to be present in primitive cell membranes in the origin of life 3,4 and play a role in artificial life contexts 5,6 . Polymersomes are also becoming widely used as nanoreactors or nanocarriers 7,8 .…”

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confidence: 99%

Flow chemistry controls self-assembly and cargo in Belousov-Zhabotinsky driven polymerization-induced self-assembly

et al. 2019

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Amphiphilic block-copolymer vesicles are increasingly used for medical and chemical applications, and a novel method for their transient self-assembly orchestrated by periodically generated radicals during the oscillatory Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction was recently developed. Here we report how combining this one pot polymerization-induced selfassembly (PISA) method with a continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR) strategy allows for continuous and reproducible control of both the PISA process and the chemical features (e.g. the radical generation and oscillation) of the entrapped cargo. By appropriately tuning the residence time (τ), target degree of polymerization (DP) and the BZ reactants, intermediate self-assembly structures are also obtained (micelles, worms and nano-sized vesicles). Simultaneously, the chemical properties of the cargo at encapsulation are known and tunable, a key advantage over batch operation. Finally, we also show that BZ-driven polymerization in CSTR additionally supports more non-periodic dynamics such as bursting.

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“…Vesicles have been extensively applied in various fields ranging from biology and biochemistry, to biophysics . Several kinds of methods, such as assembly, surface‐initiated polymerization, and emulsification, have been developed to form varieties of lipids or block copolymers vesicles . Technically, vesicles produced in microfluidics originate from the droplets production technology by microfluidics.…”

Section: Microfluidics For the Fabrication Of Vesiclesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[140] Several kinds of methods, such as assembly, surface-initiated polymerization, and emulsification, have been developed to form varieties of lipids or block copolymers vesicles. [141][142][143][144][145][146] Technically, vesicles produced in microfluidics originate from the droplets production technology by microfluidics. This is because vesicles' production relies almost exclusively on double emulsions.…”

Section: Microfluidics For the Fabrication Of Vesiclesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microfluidics for Biosynthesizing: from Droplets and Vesicles to Artificial Cells

Xie

Xiong

et al. 2019

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Fabrication of artificial biomimetic materials has attracted abundant attention. As one of the subcategories of biomimetic materials, artificial cells are highly significant for multiple disciplines and their synthesis has been intensively pursued. In order to manufacture robust “alive” artificial cells with high throughput, easy operation, and precise control, flexible microfluidic techniques are widely utilized. Herein, recent advances in microfluidic‐based methods for the synthesis of droplets, vesicles, and artificial cells are summarized. First, the advances of droplet fabrication and manipulation on the T‐junction, flow‐focusing, and coflowing microfluidic devices are discussed. Then, the formation of unicompartmental and multicompartmental vesicles based on microfluidics are summarized. Furthermore, the engineering of droplet‐based and vesicle‐based artificial cells by microfluidics is also reviewed. Moreover, the artificial cells applied for imitating cell behavior and acting as bioreactors for synthetic biology are highlighted. Finally, the current challenges and future trends in microfluidic‐based artificial cells are discussed. This review should be helpful for researchers in the fields of microfluidics, biomaterial fabrication, and synthetic biology.

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Polymersomes as protocellular constructs

Cited by 36 publications

References 78 publications

Liposomes and polymersomes: a comparative review towards cell mimicking

Liposomes and polymersomes: a comparative review towards cell mimicking

Flow chemistry controls self-assembly and cargo in Belousov-Zhabotinsky driven polymerization-induced self-assembly

Microfluidics for Biosynthesizing: from Droplets and Vesicles to Artificial Cells

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