AbstractThe achievement of light‐responsive behaviours is an important target for protocell engineering to allow control of fundamental protocellular processes such as communication via diffusible chemical signals, shape changes or even motility at the flick of a switch. As a step towards this ambitious goal, here we describe the synthesis of a novel poly(ethylene glycol)‐based crosslinker, reactive towards nucleophiles, that effectively degrades with UV light (405 nm). We demonstrate its utility for the fabrication of the first protocell membranes capable of light‐induced disassembly, for the photo‐generation of patterns of protocells, and for the modulation of protocell membrane permeability. Overall, our results not only open up new avenues towards the engineering of spatially organised, communicating networks of protocells, and of micro‐compartmentalised systems for information storage and release, but also have important implications for other research fields such as drug delivery and soft materials chemistry.
摘要 实现光响应行为是原细胞工程的一个重要目标,通过光响应行为可以控制基本的原细胞过程,如通过可扩散的化学信号进行通信、改变形状甚至轻触开关即可运动。作为向这一宏伟目标迈出的一步,我们在此描述了一种新型聚乙二醇基交联剂的合成过程,这种交联剂对亲核物具有反应活性,能在紫外线(405 纳米)下有效降解。我们展示了这种交联剂在制造首批能在光诱导下分解的原细胞膜、光生成原细胞图案以及调节原细胞膜渗透性方面的用途。总之,我们的成果不仅为原电池的空间组织、通信网络以及用于信息存储和释放的微区系统工程开辟了新途径,而且对药物输送和软材料化学等其他研究领域也有重要影响。