A2 Refereed review article in a scientific journal
Self-assembly of stabilized droplets from liquid-liquid phase separation for higher-order structures and functions
Authors: Naz Mehwish, Zhang Lin, Chen Chong, Yang Shuo, Dou Hongjing, Mann Stephen, Li Jianwei
Publisher: Macmillan Publishers Ltd part of Springer Nature
Publication year: 2024
Journal: Communications chemistry
Journal name in source: Communications chemistry
Journal acronym: Commun Chem
Volume: 7
Issue: 1
ISSN: 2399-3669
eISSN: 2399-3669
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-024-01168-5
Web address : https://www.nature.com/articles/s42004-024-01168-5
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/387626899
Dynamic microscale droplets produced by liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) have emerged as appealing biomaterials due to their remarkable features. However, the instability of droplets limits the construction of population-level structures with collective behaviors. Here we first provide a brief background of droplets in the context of materials properties. Subsequently, we discuss current strategies for stabilizing droplets including physical separation and chemical modulation. We also discuss the recent development of LLPS droplets for various applications such as synthetic cells and biomedical materials. Finally, we give insights on how stabilized droplets can self-assemble into higher-order structures displaying coordinated functions to fully exploit their potentials in bottom-up synthetic biology and biomedical applications.
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