Communicating artificial cells

Abstract

Intercellular chemical communication is commonly exploited for the engineering of living cells but has been largely ignored by efforts to build artificial cells. Since communication is a fundamental feature of life, the construction of artificial cells capable of chemical communication will likely lead to a deeper understanding of biology and allow for the development of life-like technologies. Herein we highlight recent progress towards the construction of artificial systems that are capable of chemically communicating with natural living cells. Artificial systems that exploit both biological and abiological material for function are discussed.