Assembly of Multi‐Compartment Cell Mimics by Droplet‐Based Microfluidics

Abstract

AbstractIn recent years, there has been a growing interest in multi‐compartment systems as a means of developing materials that mimic the structure and function of biological cells. These hierarchical systems, including artificial cells and cell‐like reactors, can efficiently perform biochemical tasks by exploiting compartmentalization inspired by biological systems. However, the bottom‐up design of cell mimics presents significant challenges due to the need for precise and efficient assembly of components. This short review examines recent advances in droplet‐based microfluidics (DBM), which has emerged as a powerful technique for creating cell‐like systems with multi‐compartment architectures, precise composition, and biomimetic functionality. DBM has proven to be a reliable method for generating populations of cell‐mimics with a compartment‐in‐compartment structure, some of which have adaptable properties that resemble the dynamic properties of natural cells. Notable examples will be discussed to illustrate how droplet‐based microfluidics provides a versatile approach to create, manipulate, and study cell‐mimics.