EU Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship 2020 Semi-Autonomous ProtoTissues capable of photo-Mechano-Chemical transduction
Protocells, artificial cell-like entities, are a vital tool in synthetic biology. These non-living systems demonstrate characteristics akin to biological cells. Protocell networks in prototissues can communicate and display synergistic functions, yet lack robustness and the required complexity to perform higher-order functions. Funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the SAPTiMeC project will exploit spiropyran photoswitches to fabricate prototissues that can swell and de-swell powered by light. This mechanical movement will then be exploited to modulate the prototissue’s endogenous photocatalytic reactivity, producing waves of an output chemical signal. Project outcomes could usher in a new era in bottom-up synthetic biology and non-equilibrium systems, delivering new materials with potential use in tissue engineering and soft robotics.
Start date: 01 september 2021
End date: 31 august 2023
Recipient: Dr. Agostino Galanti
Partners: University of Bristol
More Info: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101023978
Research outputs
The Gobbo Group 