Work

Microfluidics meets cell-free systems: from molecular engineering to synthetic cells

Year: 2025

Type: review

Abstract: Cell-free systems have emerged as a powerful platform for protein production, characterization, and bottom-up construction of artificial cells, offering direct control over biochemical environments. However, achieving high-throughput and iterative design-build-test cycles requires advanced strategies beyond conventional methods. Microfluidic technologies address these challenges by enabling miniaturization, automation, and exceptional control over reaction conditions. The integration of cell-free systems with microfluidics has unlocked new capabilities by enabling high-throughput assays, long-lived reactions in continuous-flow systems, and the generation of liposome-based artificial cells. This review highlights recent advances at this interface, focusing on microfluidic strategies for protein characterization, gene regulatory studies, and the bottom-up construction of artificial cells exhibiting life-like functions.

Source: Current Opinion in Biotechnology

DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2025.103384

Authors: Amogh K Baranwal, Sebastian J Maerkl

Institution: École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Language: English

Topic: Innovative Microfluidic and Catalytic Techniques Innovation

Subfield: Biomedical Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,530

Funder: Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung