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Nanoscale

A new peer reviewed journal publishing experimental and theoretical work across the breadth of nanoscience and nanotechnology



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Nanoscale, 2009, 1, 68 - 73, DOI: 10.1039/b9nr00143c

Polymer hydrogel capsules: en route toward synthetic cellular systems

Brigitte Städler, Andrew D. Price, Rona Chandrawati, Leticia Hosta-Rigau, Alexander N. Zelikin and Frank Caruso

Engineered synthetic cellular systems are expected to become a powerful biomedical platform for the development of next-generation therapeutic carrier vehicles. In this mini-review, we discuss the potential of polymer capsules derived by the layer-by-layer assembly as a platform system for the construction of artificial cells and organelles. We outline the characteristics of polymer capsules that make them unique for these applications, and we describe several successful examples of microencapsulated catalysis, including biologically relevant enzymatic reactions. We also provide examples of subcompartmentalized polymer capsules, which represent a major step toward the creation of synthetic cells.

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