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SUMMARY:Artificial Cells in Picoliter Droplets  - Prof Wilhelm Huck (Nijme
 gen - Radboud Universiteit)
DTSTART:20130517T130000Z
DTEND:20130517T140000Z
UID:TALK44393@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Shery Huang
DESCRIPTION:A cell is the common unit structure shared by all living organ
 isms. But even ‘simple’ prokaryotic cells are extremely complex chemic
 al reactors. In recent years\, great progress has been made in determining
  the diffusion coefficients of proteins in living cells\, science is begin
 ning to appreciate the stochastic nature of gene expression\, and models f
 or reaction diffusion systems in signaling pathways are emerging.\nHowever
 \, we do not understand the basic underlying physical organic chemistry of
  the cell. We do not know at what point the familiar chemistry in dilute s
 olutions ceases to be a valid description of the chemistry in crowded envi
 ronments that are present in the cell. The main problem is our lack of acc
 ess to kinetic and thermodynamic data for intracellular reactions in crowd
 ed ‘life-like’ environments. In my talk\, I will explain how we are co
 nstructing a robust experimental platform to elucidate the precise influen
 ce that the particular physiochemical conditions commonly found in living 
 systems have on model complex biochemical reactions. Monodisperse water-in
 -oil microdroplets\, ~10-100μm in diameter and surrounded by a monolayer 
 of surfactant\, allow for reactions to be studied systematically on a minu
 te scale under idealized conditions. Droplets can be formed\, fused\, spli
 t\, sorted and interrogated using fluorescence spectroscopy at kHz rates i
 n microfluidic devices. In these droplets we introduce the machinery requi
 red for transcription and translation and then we study the cell-free expr
 ession of proteins as a function of physical parameters. These studies all
 ow us to use picoliter droplets as artificial cells.\n
LOCATION:Small Lecture Theatre\, Cavendish Laboratory
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