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Cell-sized vesicles have tremendous potential both as miniaturised pL reaction vessels and in bottom-up synthetic biology as chassis for artificial cells. In both these areas the introduction of light-responsive modules affords increased functionality, for example, to initiate enzymatic reactions in the vesicle interior with spatiotemporal control. Here we report a system composed of nested vesicles where the inner compartments act as phototransducers, responding to ultraviolet irradiation through diacetylene polymerisation-induced pore formation to initiate enzymatic reactions. The controlled release and hydrolysis of a fluorogenic β-galactosidase substrate in the external compartment is demonstrated, where the rate of reaction can be modulated by varying ultraviolet exposure time. Such cell-like nested microreactor structures could be utilised in fields from biocatalysis through to drug delivery., Matryoshka doll-like, nested vesicles, each containing a different ingredient to a chemical reaction, can serve as microreactors. Here, the authors developed a system in which mixing of the ingredients can be induced by irradiation with ultraviolet light.

Compartmentalised structures based on droplet interface bilayers (DIBs), including multisomes and compartmentalised vesicles, are seen by many as the next generation of biomimetic soft matter devices. Herein, we outline a microfluidic approach for the construction of miniaturised multisomes of pL volumes in high-throughput and demonstrate their potential as vehicles for in situ chemical synthesis., Chemical Communications, 52 (35), ISSN:1359-7345, ISSN:1364-548X

In recent years there has been an increasing interest in using lipid vesicles and related membrane structures as (i) artificial cells that mimic biological processes and (ii) bio-inspired micro-machines that serve functional purposes. To date, vesicles have largely been single-compartment structures with homogenous interiors, which has impeded the fulfilment of these goals. This thesis details the development of technologies to address this. We develop droplet-based methods to controllably generate multi-compartment vesicles (MCVs) for the first time. The potential of these novel structures as artificial cells capable of hosting a range of biological and bio-mimetic processes is explored. Most notably, we introduce spatial segregation of function, thus mimicking eukaryotic organelles, and incorporate an artificial enzymatic signalling cascade to transmit chemical signals between distinct vesicle regions. We also construct microfluidic devices to generate related structures known as multisomes. Microfluidic technologies enable the size of these constructs to be scaled-down (approaching characteristic cellular sizes), and the production throughput to be scaled-up (hundreds of multisomes produced a minute). We demonstrate their use as programmable modular microdroplet ‘factories’ for in situ chemical synthesis in physiological environments, with potential relevance for therapeutic applications. The above technologies provide a platform for further developments in bottom-up synthetic biology and in microreactor technologies, and will pave the way for the fulfilment of some of the ambitious goals of these fields. Open Access