Non-membrane bound compartments within the cell have been shown to be vital to cellular function. Such intercellular organization is governed by physical influences of the crowded and phase-separated environment within cells. In order to study the effects of compartmentalization, cellular mimics demonstrating these aspects of cells are desired. Aqueous multiphase system water-in-oil emulsion droplets provide such a platform. These droplets are typically composed of multiple distinct phase-separated regions, each rich in a specific neutral polymer (such as poly(ethylene glycol), dextran, or Ficoll). These regions provide unique partitioning effects as well as crowded environments within which cellular reactions may be studied. Microfluidic techniques have been developed to exert control over droplet composition and morphology. The effect of these physical characteristics upon the extent of reaction and reaction rates is currently being explored. Previous work utilizing such a system has demonstrated successful observation of transcription and translation of fluorescent proteins within droplets. Expanding on these results, modifying the droplets' attributes (such as phase composition, relative phase volume, and droplet size) changes the availability of reaction components due to phenomena such as diffusion effects and effective concentration. This work provides a foundation of a physical understanding of emulsion-based cellular mimics upon which many biological reactions may be studied.

Aqueous multiphase emulsion droplets as cellular mimics: Production and utilization

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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