Faggian Alessia, Casiraghi Federica, Hanczyc Martin M
Laboratory for Artificial Biology, Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Via Sommarive, 9, Povo 38123, Italy.
Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87106, United States.
ACS Omega. 2025 Jun 2;10(22):23528-23534. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.5c02156. eCollection 2025 Jun 10.
This study introduces a direct fluorescence-based molecular beacon method to monitor droplet assembly in real-time, enhancing the precision of synthetic biology and mesoscale material applications. Unlike traditional imaging techniques, such as Pearson correlation from microscopic images, the direct method allows continuous quantification of dynamic droplet interactions with high sensitivity. This system utilizes single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) beacons that fluoresce upon binding with complementary ssDNA sequences in adjacent droplets, enabling the specific detection of assembly events. The ability to manipulate assembly accurately expands potential applications including the design of programmable cellular mimics, biosensors for environmental monitoring, and smart drug delivery systems that respond to specific cellular cues.
本研究引入了一种基于直接荧光的分子信标方法来实时监测液滴组装，提高了合成生物学和中尺度材料应用的精度。与传统成像技术（如从显微镜图像中进行皮尔逊相关性分析）不同，这种直接方法能够以高灵敏度对动态液滴相互作用进行连续定量。该系统利用单链DNA（ssDNA）信标，当与相邻液滴中的互补ssDNA序列结合时会发出荧光，从而能够特异性检测组装事件。精确操纵组装的能力扩展了潜在应用，包括可编程细胞模拟物的设计、用于环境监测的生物传感器以及响应特定细胞信号的智能药物递送系统。
