Reaction-diffusion patterning of DNA-based artificial cells

Biological cells display complex internal architectures, with distinct micro environments that establish the chemical heterogeneity needed to sustain cellular functions. The continued efforts to create advanced cell mimics - artificial cells - demands strategies to construct similarly heterogeneous structures with localized functionalities. Here, we introduce a platform for constructing membrane-less artificial cells from the self-assembly of synthetic DNA nanostructures, in which internal domains can be established thanks to prescribed reaction-diffusion waves. The method, rationalized through numerical modeling, enables the formation of up to five distinct, concentric environments, in which functional moieties can be localized. As a proof-of-concept, we apply this platform to build DNA-based artificial cells in which a prototypical nucleus synthesizes fluorescent RNA aptamers, which then accumulate in a surrounding storage shell, thus demonstrating spatial segregation of functionalities reminiscent of that observed in biological cells.