已传文件：photo/1769217000.png
Artificial cells assembled from materials such as hydrogels have become a platform for replicating and understanding biological functions, processes, and behaviors. However, hydrogels lack lipid membranes, which are an important feature of cellular systems. We have developed a method for assembling fluid-stable lipid membranes through electrostatically mediated nanoscale lipid vesicle fusion, with the membrane encapsulated within a hydrogel network inside the particles. This endows microscale structures generated through microfluidics withCell-sized hydrogel artificial cells and their cell-like and biotechnology-related properties. We utilized the characteristics of the fabricated membranes to enhance the performance of existing hydrogels by altering permeability and protecting the hydrogels from degradation by small molecules. In addition, we demonstrated that lipid membranes are compatible with organelle substructures within the hydrogels, making it possible to construct hydrogel artificial cells that increasingly mimic cellular tissues using the enhanced material design space. This platform paves the way for producing next-generation artificial cells and functional microscale devices using interface hydrogel-lipid materials. Our technology is expected to provide new opportunities for integrating membranes into hydrogel systems, including applications in drug delivery and tissue engineering.
