Indian-American Scientist Develops Artificial Membranes That Grow Like Living Cells

The synthetic membrane mimics the complex living organism and synthesizes all the components needed to form additional catalytic membranes.

Artificial cell membrane capable of growing like a living cell has been successfully designed and synthesized by a team of scientists headed by an Indian-American. This will allow scientists to more accurately replicate the behavior of living cell membranes.

"The membranes we created, though completely synthetic, mimic several features of more complex living organisms, such as the ability to adapt their composition in response to environmental cues," said lead author Neal Devaraj, an Indian-American assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry at University of California, San Diego.

Man Ready to Play God - Scientists Synthesize Artificial Life In Lab
Scientists have managed to synthesize 1.08 million base pair chromosome of a modified Mycoplasma mycoides genome.

So far such membranes have been modeled only by synthetic cell membranes without the ability to add new phospholipids, important molecules that provide structure and protection to cells.

"Many other scientists have exploited the ability of lipids to self-assemble into bilayer vesicles with properties reminiscent of cellular membranes but until now no one has been able to mimic nature’s ability to support persistent phospholipid membrane formation," Devaraj said.

The artificial cell membrane synthesizes all the components needed to form additional catalytic membranes.

NIST Cell Membrane Model may Help Detect Protein Associated With Bacterial Vaginosis
A NIST-developed model of a simplified cell membrane has been discovered by researchers, which may now accurately detect and measure protein associated with bacterial vaginosis

"For developing the growing membrane, we substituted a complex network of biochemical pathways used in nature with a single autocatalyst that simultaneously drives membrane growth."

Thus, the system continually transforms simpler, higher-energy building blocks into new artificial membranes.

Research Says Common Drugs Initiate a Molecular Pas De Quatre at the Surface of the Cell Membrane
It has emerged that G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are popular drug targets, accounting for about one-third of approved drugs

"Synthetic cell membranes that can grow like real membranes will be an important new tool for synthetic biology and origin of life studies."

The study appeared in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Images of Open Channel Captured That Moves Proteins Across Cell Membranes
Every protein made in the cell has a specific destination and function, similar to passengers on an urban transit system.

Source-IANS