Nature Communications (Feb 2016)

Non-equilibrium behaviour in coacervate-based protocells under electric-field-induced excitation

  • Yudan Yin,
  • Lin Niu,
  • Xiaocui Zhu,
  • Meiping Zhao,
  • Zexin Zhang,
  • Stephen Mann,
  • Dehai Liang

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms10658
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 7, no. 1
pp. 1 – 7

Abstract

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Synthetic cells are designed to mimic basic life processes, but it is challenging to prepare cells that can persist and operate at non-equilibrium conditions. Here, Yin et al.show complex dynamical behaviors of protocells made by exposing polylysine and single-stranded DNA droplets to an electric field.