About the project
The group has recently intercalated a photo-switchable amphiphilic molecule into the phospholipid scaffold of an artificial cell to obtain control over the shape dynamics and permeability of the membrane. The azobenzene-based molecule bears a Zn2+-complexed 1,4,7-triaza-cyclononane (TACN) head group that displays light-controllable intermolecular cooperativity for the complexation and, eventually, the catalytic transphosphorylation of molecules containing phosphodiester bonds.
In this project, we aim to create catalytic pockets in the membrane of a synthetic cell that can be controllable by light triggers to couple the membrane dynamics with the transphosphorylation of nucleic acid condensates.
We expect to: (1) Synthesize different photo-switchable amphiphiles bearing the TACN head group to be intercalated into membranes; (2) Establish control over the dynamics of condensate growth mediated by the membrane interface; (3) Obtain synergistic effects between changes in membrane morphology and the growth dynamics of the condensates.
The project will include secondments at the Max Plank Institute in Germany (Dimova group), at the CNRS in France (Marques group) and at Tel Aviv University, Israel (Sorkin group).
Selected References
- Rossi, F.; Ristori, S.; Abou-Hassan, A. Multiscale Approach for Tuning Communication among Chemical Oscillators Confined in Biomimetic Microcompartments. Acc. Chem. Res. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.accounts.4c00232.
- Albanese, P.; Cataldini, S.; Ren, C. Z.-J.; Valletti, N.; Brunetti, J.; Chen, J. L.-Y.; Rossi, F. Light-Switchable Membrane Permeability in Giant Unilamellar Vesicles. Pharmaceutics 2022, 14 (12), 2777. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics14122777.
- Miele, Y.; Medveczky, Z.; Hollo, G.; Tegze, B.; Derenyi, I.; Horvolgyi, Z.; Altamura, E.; Lagzi, I.; Rossi, F. Self-Division of Giant Vesicles Driven by an Internal Enzymatic Reaction. Chem. Sci. 2020, 11, 3228–3235. https://doi.org/10.1039/C9SC05195C.
Doctoral Candidate: Samrat Saha
Samrat completed both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Chemistry at the University of Calcutta, India. His master’s thesis focused on creating azoheteroarenes based photoswitches for molecular solar thermal energy storage.
Before joining ComeInCell, Samrat worked as a Junior Research Fellow at the University of Calcutta, where he focused on the development of photoswitchable antibiotics. He also worked as a Junior Research Fellow at the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, working on the development of hemostatic microcapsules for dual drug delivery and rapid wound healing.
Hosted by:
Federico Rossi
University of Siena, Italy
Department of Physical Sciences, Earth and Environment
https://smartcells.unisi.it/
