University of Edinburgh researchers showed the possibility of creating synthetic polymers inside of living cells. They demonstrated the steps they conducted in their research findings published in the journal Nature Chemistry and how their research showcases the possibilities of regulating cellular function.
Previous researchers conducted creating polymers in the presence of living cells to encapsulate them to permit engineering. Former studies about synthetic polymers were limited to the belief that it is impossible to create them inside living cells as free-radicals to a mixture of monomers is needed because of the presence of free-radical scavengers-creating polymers. The researchers have disproved by creating polymers inside living cells in their study.
The researchers theorized that polymerization would not be prevented since the response of free-radical scavengers would not occur because of the presence of radicals. A photoinitiator molecule to a human cell culture was used to start the process after which biocompatible monomers were also added. Free-radicals were released by shining a UV light on the cell. Polymers were created when the free radicals reacted with the monomer building blocks. Using different kinds of monomers resulted to the creation of different polymers. Some of the polymers had fluorescent properties while some changed into nanoparticles while others regulated the motion of cells.
"The team suggest that the knowledge that it is possible to create polymers inside of living cells is likely to instigate work by other research teams who will want to investigate the various possibilities imagined with polymers inside of cells. They further suggest it might even open up a new area of chemical biology. Meanwhile, the team plans to continue their own research to better understand the impact polymers have on cells when created inside of them and whether the cells can survive as long as they normally would," according to Phys.
