Regensburg 2019 – scientific programme
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CPP: Fachverband Chemische Physik und Polymerphysik
CPP 55: Physics of Self-Organization in DNA Nanostructures (joint session CPP/BP)
CPP 55.1: Talk
Thursday, April 4, 2019, 12:15–12:30, H13
Synthetic cells: Bottom-up assembly with DNA nanotechnology — •Kerstin Göpfrich1,2, Kevin Jahnke1,2, Ilia Platzman1,2, and Joachim P. Spatz1,2 — 1Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Department of Cellular Biophysics, Jahnstraße 29, D 69120, Heidelberg — 2Department of Biophysical Chemistry, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 253, D 69120 Heidelberg
Bottom-up synthetic biology has been successful at isolating components from cells and reconstituting subcellular functions inside compartments. Progress towards a fully functional synthetic cell, however, requires strategies to recombine and arrange a multitude of components in space and time. We therefore propose to merge two precision technologies, namely microfluidics and DNA nanotechnology, to position and manipulate components in synthetic cells. In particular, we demonstrate that DNA can be used as a near-universal tool for responsive and programmable compartment functionalization. Our method relies on the self-assembly of single-stranded cholesterol-tagged DNA handles, which provide an addressable anchoring point for complementary DNA carrying an arbitrary functional group. Using this DNA handle approach, we demonstrate the stimuli-responsive attachment of reactive groups, DNA nanostructures, microspheres, an actin cortex and even living cells to the periphery of surfactant-stabilized droplets. We further employ DNA to construct functional components, including a pH-responsive DNA-based cytoskeleton mimic, which serves as a stabilizing cortex inside synthetic cells.