For years, synthetic biology has pursued the creation of artificial cells able to reproduce —in a simplified manner— some of life's most complex processes. The goal is twofold: to gain a deeper understanding of the fundamental principles of cellular evolution and to generate innovative tools for biomedicine and biotechnology.
Within this framework, researchers at the Center for Research in Biological Chemistry and Molecular Materials (CiQUS) of the University of Santiago de Compostela have developed dendritic membranized coacervate microdroplets (MCMs). These structures combine two essential features of natural cells: a densely packed interior —resembling the intracellular environment— and an external membrane acting as a protective yet permeable barrier.
The use of dendrimers, highly branched and precisely engineered synthetic polymers, provides these microdroplets with exceptional robustness under physiological conditions, far superior to that of conventional synthetic cell models. "We have shown that these structures remain intact even in environments with high salt concentrations, where traditional coacervates tend to disassemble," explains Eduardo Fernández-Megía, who led the study.
Beyond their remarkable stability, the new microdroplets display biomimetic behavior: they can selectively encapsulate proteins, support cascade enzymatic reactions, and engage in chemical communication processes similar to those occurring among living cells. The team has even demonstrated that these synthetic structures can establish functional interactions with natural cells via signal transduction mechanisms —making them promising candidates for regenerative medicine, targeted therapies, and tissue engineering.
"The result is a new type of artificial cell that is both robust and functional, imitating natural cells but built from basic components," highlights Lucas García Abuin, co-author of the study together with Celia Jiménez López and Prof. Fernández-Megía. Research on dendrimers and polymeric nanostructures for biomedical applications is one of the areas pursued by the Fernández-Megía Lab at CiQUS, a research center supported by the European Union through the Galicia ERDF Programme 2021–2027.
Reference:
Dendritic Membranized Coacervate Microdroplets: A Robust Platform for Synthetic-Living Cell Consortia
Celia Jimenez-Lopez, Lucas Garcia-Abuin, and Eduardo Fernandez-Megia
Journal of the American Chemical Society 2025, 147 (32), 29457-29467
DOI: 10.1021/jacs.5c09772
