Abstract
Experimental evolution in chemical models of cells could reveal the fundamental mechanisms of cells today. Various chemical cell models, water-in-oil emulsions, oil-on-water droplets, and vesicles have been constructed in order to conduct research on experimental evolution. In this review, firstly, recent studies with these candidate models are introduced and discussed with regards to the two hierarchical directions of experimental evolution (chemical evolution and evolution of a molecular self-assembly). Secondly, we suggest giant vesicles (GVs), which have diameters larger than 1 µm, as promising chemical cell models for studying experimental evolution. Thirdly, since technical difficulties still exist in conventional GV experiments, recent developments of microfluidic devices to deal with GVs are reviewed with regards to the realization of open-ended evolution in GVs. Finally, as a future perspective, we link the concept of messy chemistry to the promising, unexplored direction of experimental evolution in GVs.
Highlights
As a complementary viewpoint to conventional biology that details the components based on the reductionism, constructive exploration for the common mechanisms that are fundamentally shared among living cells today has progressively developed
We have reviewed and discussed the research trend of chemical cell models, emulsion, oil droplets, and vesicles, which have been applied for studying experimental evolution, together with the viewpoint of throughput, and summarized the recent progress of microfluidic technologies on giant vesicles (GVs)
A sophisticated application of microfluidic technology for precise GV formation with highly controlled inner water phase was recently developed by Spatz’s group [55]. They constituted GV from small vesicles in emulsion droplets surrounded by polymer monolayer to bestow mechanical stability, and the GVs were applied to the pico-injection device
Summary
As a complementary viewpoint to conventional biology that details the components based on the reductionism, constructive exploration for the common mechanisms that are fundamentally shared among living cells today has progressively developed. Clarifying the possible scenarios of the origin of life may make it possible to concretize such a working definition of life and to make the precision and range of the exploration more realistic From this point of view, it is desirable to construct an evolvable system in a wider context, not being limited to the body of cells living on Earth today. We have reviewed and discussed the research trend of chemical cell models, emulsion, oil droplets, and vesicles, which have been applied for studying experimental evolution, together with the viewpoint of throughput, and summarized the recent progress of microfluidic technologies on GVs
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