COLLOQUIUM 2026

Abstract

Artificial cells provide a powerful route toward understanding and engineering life-like behavior in fully synthetic matter. In our work, we develop DNA-based artificial cells as programmable, non-equilibrium compartments that go far beyond passive encapsulation. By exploiting sequence-encoded phase behavior and dense DNA condensation, these systems exhibit rich internal physics, including non-Fickian transport, viscoelastic confinement, and the emergence of functional architectures such as artificial cytoskeletons and nucleus-like domains. When coupled to DNA reaction networks and strand-displacement circuits, artificial cells can sense chemical cues, process information, and generate adaptive responses, enabling controlled communication and collective behavior across protocellular assemblies.

As a complementary direction, we advance mechanobiology through synthetic, DNA-based force-sensing platforms that interface directly with living cells. Programmable aptamer mechanoreceptors and nuclease-resistant DNA tension probes enable cell-specific, long-term mapping of molecular forces with temporal control. By integrating DNA mechanics with molecular circuits, these systems move beyond force readout toward conditional signal processing at the biointerface. Together, these approaches bridge artificial cells and mechanobiology, positioning DNA as a unifying materials platform to study mechanochemical feedback and adaptive behavior at the interface of synthetic and living systems.

One review: A. Samanta, L. Baranda Pellejero, M. Masukawa, A. Walther “DNA-Empowered Synthetic Cells as Minimalistic Life Forms” Nat. Rev. Chem. 8, 454, (2024).