A5010364068- Origins and Evolution of Life
- Modular Robots and Swarm Intelligence
- Micro and Nano Robotics
- Lipid Membrane Structure and Behavior
- Photoreceptor and optogenetics research
- Innovative Microfluidic and Catalytic Techniques Innovation
- Advanced biosensing and bioanalysis techniques
- Supramolecular Self-Assembly in Materials
- Slime Mold and Myxomycetes Research
- Electrowetting and Microfluidic Technologies
- RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms
- Photosynthetic Processes and Mechanisms
- Microbial Metabolic Engineering and Bioproduction
- Plant and Biological Electrophysiology Studies
- Characterization and Applications of Magnetic Nanoparticles
- Pickering emulsions and particle stabilization
- Gene Regulatory Network Analysis
- Cellular transport and secretion
- Molecular Junctions and Nanostructures
- Space Science and Extraterrestrial Life
- Bacteriophages and microbial interactions
- Molecular Communication and Nanonetworks
- Microfluidic and Bio-sensing Technologies
- Protein Structure and Dynamics
- Electrohydrodynamics and Fluid Dynamics
University of Trento
2016-2025
University of New Mexico
2017-2024
Polo d’Innovazione di Genomica
2019-2023
Ferrari (Italy)
2023
University of Southern Denmark
2009-2016
Swedish Chemicals Agency
2011-2012
Center for Independent Living
2011
The University of Tokyo
2007-2009
Chiba University
2009
Consorzio Venezia Ricerche
2006-2007
The clay montmorillonite is known to catalyze the polymerization of RNA from activated ribonucleotides. Here we report that accelerates spontaneous conversion fatty acid micelles into vesicles. Clay particles often become encapsulated in these vesicles, thus providing a pathway for prebiotic encapsulation catalytically active surfaces within membrane In addition, adsorbed can be Once formed, such vesicles grow by incorporating supplied as and divide without dilution their contents extrusion...
Fatty acids have been investigated as boundary structures to construct artificial cells due their dynamic properties and phase transitions. Here we explored the possibility that fatty acid systems also demonstrate movement. An oil was loaded with a anhydride precursor introduced an aqueous micelle solution. The droplets showed autonomous, sustained movement through media. Internal convection created positive feedback loop, of droplet drove fresh surface become hydrolyzed. As system...
A micrometer-sized oil droplet of 4-octylaniline containing 5 mol % an amphiphilic catalyst exhibited a self-propelled motion, producing tiny droplets, in aqueous dispersion precursor 4-octylaniline. The droplets on the surface were conveyed to posterior and released solution. Thus persistent movement becomes possible this chemical system, because processing energy mechanical proceeds by consuming exogenous fuel, not itself. mechanism unidirectional motion is hypothesized terms asymmetric...
The chemotactic movement of decanol droplets in aqueous solutions sodium decanoate response to concentration gradients NaCl has been investigated. Key parameters the response, namely induction time and migration velocity, have evaluated as a function gradient. ability migrate demonstrated not only linear assay but also topologically complex environment. Additionally, reverse direction repeatedly, carry release chemically reactive cargo, select stronger gradient from two options, initiate...
Biological systems contain complex metabolic pathways with many nonlinearities and synergies that make them difficult to predict from first principles. Protein synthesis is a canonical example of such pathway. Here we show how cell-free protein may be improved through series iterated high-throughput experiments guided by machine-learning algorithm implementing form evolutionary design (Evo-DoE). The predicts fruitful statistical models the previous experimental results, combined stochastic...
Higher-order structures that originate from the specific and reversible DNA-directed self-assembly of microscopic building blocks hold great promise for future technologies. Here, we functionalized biotinylated soft colloid oil-in-water emulsion droplets with single-stranded DNA oligonucleotides using streptavidin as an intermediary linker. We show components this modular linking system to be stable induce sequence-specific aggregation binary mixtures droplets. Three length scales were...
The membrane properties of phospholipid vesicles can be manipulated to both regulate and initiate encapsulated biochemical reactions networks. We present evidence for the inhibition activation in by exogenous addition charged amphiphiles. While incorporation cationic amphiphile exerts an inhibitory effect, complementation additional anionic amphiphiles revitalize reaction. demonstrated simple hydrolysis reaction β-glucuronidase vitro gene expression this enzyme from a DNA template....
Easily accessible, primitive chemical structures produced by self-assembly of hydrophobic substances into oil droplets may result in self-moving agents able to sense their environment and move avoid equilibrium. These would constitute very examples life on the Earth, even more than simple bilayer vesicle structures. A few systems are presented that self-organize produce capable movement, remodelling chemotaxis. powered an internal reaction based hydrolysis oleic anhydride precursor or...
Intelligent soft matter stands at the intersection of materials science, physics, and cognitive promising to change how we design interact with materials. This transformative field seeks create that possess life-like capabilities, such as perception, learning, memory, adaptive behavior. Unlike traditional materials, which typically perform static or predefined functions, intelligent dynamically interacts its environment. It integrates multiple sensory inputs, retains experiences, makes...
<title>Abstract</title> Microrobotic structures formed from liquid materials offer certain advantages of reconfigurability and biochemical compatibility at microscopic scales. Here, we use electrothermally driven flow dynamics to prepare single or multi-unit reconfigurable droplet microrobotic with diverse cytomimetic properties. The are constructed by the integrated assembly precision-eluted lipid-coated water-in-oil emulsions, engineered transmembrane protein-based pores mechanosensitive...
We have developed a method to evaluate the fusion process of giant vesicles using fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS). Three fluorescent markers and FACS technology were used extent association vesicles. Two encapsulated in different vesicle populations as markers; when these associate, two independent should be observed simultaneously single detection event. The quenched marker dequencher, which separate populations, marker. When internal aqueous solutions mix, is liberated by...
Well-oiled machine: Micro and macroscale self-assembled oil droplet structures are viable technologies for drug delivery as well plausible models self-replicating materials. When far from equilibrium, systems can become dynamic effect their own growth division. Together fusion division (see figure) demonstrates a replication cycle. As service to our authors readers, this journal provides supporting information supplied by the authors. Such materials peer reviewed may be re-organized online...
We have developed a simple chemical system capable of self-movement in order to study the physicochemical origins movement. propose how this may be useful minimal perception and cognition. The consists simply an oil droplet aqueous environment. A reaction within induces instability, symmetry breaks, begins move through phase. complement physical phenomena that is then generated indicates presence feedback cycles that, as will argued, form basis for self-regulation, homeostasis, perhaps...
The self-assembly of cationic and anionic amphiphile mixtures into vesicles in aqueous media was studied using two different systems: (i) decanoic acid trimethyldecylammonium bromide (ii) hexadecanedioic (a simple bola-amphiphile) bromide. resulting with varying ratios were characterized parameters such as the critical vesicle concentration, pH sensitivity, encapsulation efficiency. We also produced observed giant from these electroformation method confocal microscopy. mixed catanionic shown...
Polymers of hydrogen cyanide and their hydrolysis products constitute a plausible, but still poorly understood proposal for early prebiotic chemistry on Earth. HCN polymers are generated by the interplay more than dozen distinctive reaction mechanisms form highly complex mixture. Here we use computational model based graph grammars as means exploring chemical spaces polymerization hydrolysis. A fundamental issue is to understand combinatorial explosion inherent in large, systems. We...
The technological aspects of artificial vesicles as prominent cell mimics are evolving toward higher-order assemblies functional with tissuelike architectures. Here, we demonstrate the spatially controlled DNA-directed bottom-up synthesis complex microassemblies and macroassemblies giant unilamellar functionalized a basic cellular machinery to express green fluorescent protein specified neighbor-to-neighbor interactions. We show both that local programmable DNA pairing rules on nanoscale...
Vesicles and other bilayered membranous structures can self-assemble from single hydrocarbon chain amphiphiles. Their formation stability are highly dependent on experimental conditions such as ionic strength, pH, temperature. The addition of divalent cations, for example, often results in the disruption vesicles made a fatty acid species through amphiphile precipitation. However, membranes composed mixtures have been shown to be more resistant low millimolar concentrations cations at room...