Microfluidic construction of cytoskeleton-like hydrogel matrix for stabilizing artificial cells

Abstract

Giant unilamellar liposomes have been largely used as artificial cell models to imitate the structures of biological cells. However, liposomes only consist of a thin bilayer of phospholipids with 2–5 nm in thickness, and thus are fragile, easy to burst, and not ready to endure environmental changes. Here we present a microfluidic strategy of embedding micro-hydrogel networks inside liposomes to improve their stability. We use droplet microfluidics to prepare liposomes encapsulated with hydrogel precursors which are subsequently polymerized into a gel phase. The hydrogel matrices are able to enhance the resistance of liposomes to osmotic shocks and can be functionalized by immobilizing nanoparticles. Finally, we demonstrate the internal gel networks support enzymatic reactions. Overall, our microfluidic approach to the construction of cytoskeleton-like hydrogel matrix for stabilizing liposome-based artificial cells provides new opportunities in micro-compartmentalization in synthetic cells, and may find applications in various fields ranging from bio-microreactors to drug delivery.