Terpolymer-stabilized complex coacervates: A robust and versatile synthetic cell platform

Alexander F Mason; Wiggert J Altenburg; Shidong Song; Marleen van Stevendaal; Jan C M van Hest

doi:10.1016/bs.mie.2020.06.008

Terpolymer-stabilized complex coacervates: A robust and versatile synthetic cell platform

Methods Enzymol. 2021:646:51-82. doi: 10.1016/bs.mie.2020.06.008. Epub 2020 Jul 9.

Authors

Alexander F Mason¹, Wiggert J Altenburg², Shidong Song², Marleen van Stevendaal², Jan C M van Hest³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands; Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Electronic address: a.f.mason@tue.nl.
² Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands; Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
³ Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands; Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Electronic address: j.c.m.v.hest@tue.nl.

PMID: 33453933
DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2020.06.008

Abstract

The utilization of liquid-liquid phase separated systems has seen increased attention as synthetic cell platforms due to their innate ability to sequester interesting, functional, and biologically relevant materials. However, their applications are limited by the temporal stability of such condensed phases. While there are a number of strategies toward droplet stabilization, in our group we have developed a polymer-based approach to stabilize complex coacervate microdroplets. These protocells are remarkably robust and have been utilized to support a number of new protocellular applications. Here, we describe in detail the methodologies we have developed for the synthesis of the starting components, their formation into stable, cargo-loaded protocells, and how these protocells are treated post-formation to purify and analyze the resultant functional self-assembled systems.

Keywords: Coacervates; Compartmentalization; Polymer assembly; Protocells.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Artificial Cells*
Polymers

Substances

Polymers