Paper published
Artificial protein droplets mimic living systems in the new paper from Andrea and co-authors, recently published on Nature Communications.
Living organisms harvest energy from the environment to drive chemical processes that enable life. In this paper, realized in collaboration with researchers from the external pageOkinawa Institute of Science and Technology and external pageMax Plank Institute, Andrea and his co-authors introduce a protein droplets system that is able replicate the activity levels of unicellular organisms through chemical reactions.
At these metabolic densities, the droplets show self-generated pH gradients and internal flows, reminiscent of biological phenomena found in cells and bacteria.
Photo credit: Andrea Testa