The CHELL : A Bottom-Up approach to in vitro and in silico Minimal Life-like Constructs

Lead Research Organisation: University of Glasgow
Department Name: School of Chemistry

Abstract

Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.

Publications

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BOULAY A (2013) Polyoxometalate Chemistry - Some Recent Trends

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Boulay AG (2012) Morphogenesis of polyoxometalate cluster-based materials to microtubular network architectures. in Chemical communications (Cambridge, England)

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Cao L (2021) Optimization of Formulations Using Robotic Experiments Driven by Machine Learning DoE in Cell Reports Physical Science

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Cardoso SSS (2020) Chemobrionics: From Self-Assembled Material Architectures to the Origin of Life. in Artificial life

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Cooper GJ (2012) Directed assembly of inorganic polyoxometalate-based micrometer-scale tubular architectures by using optical control. in Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)

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Cooper GJ (2011) Modular redox-active inorganic chemical cells: iCHELLs. in Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)

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Cooper GJ (2011) Osmotically driven crystal morphogenesis: a general approach to the fabrication of micrometer-scale tubular architectures based on polyoxometalates. in Journal of the American Chemical Society

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Cronin L (2011) Defining New Architectural Design Principles with 'Living' Inorganic Materials in Architectural Design

 
Title Brainwaves 
Description Prof Cronin has appeared on the BBC Radio Scotland "Brainwaves" program, in which he discusses his work, the origin of life, and his development as a scientist. (link below for a limited time only) 
Type Of Art Film/Video/Animation 
Year Produced 2016 
Impact Scottish audience (but also available on-line) 
URL http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b070d3yb
 
Title Disruptive Interview 
Description In an interview for the 3D printing magazine "Disruptive", Lee Cronin discusses his approach of using 3D printing technology for drug discovery and pharmaceuticals, and the digitalisation of the chemical world. 
Type Of Art Film/Video/Animation 
Year Produced 2015 
Impact target audience 
URL http://www.disruptivemagazine.com/opinion/disruptive-interview-lee-cronin-regius-chair-chemistry-uni...
 
Title People Behind the Science 
Description Prof Cronin has appeared on the "People Behind the Science" podcast, where he shared his views on the Origin of Life, and on how chemistry gets complicated, as well as discussing his life as a scientist. 
Type Of Art Film/Video/Animation 
Year Produced 2015 
Impact inspiration 
URL http://www.peoplebehindthescience.com/dr-lee-cronin/
 
Title TED Talk 
Description The idea is to make a device that could download plans for molecules and create them, in exactly the way that 3D printers can download plans and create objects. He would have a universal set of software, hardware and inks, and he believes all of them, including the ink, could be fantastically cheap. The software would be the product; the materials would be commodities. 
Type Of Art Film/Video/Animation 
Year Produced 2012 
Impact What would this mean? It would mean that you could print your own medicine. First, his team going to look at drug discovery and manufacturing. If drugs could be manufactured easily, they could be distributed anywhere - even printed at the point of need. If a new super-bug emerges, you could print a treatment right where it breaks out. Ultimately, Cronin says, "For me the cool bit, going into the future, is the idea of taking your own stem cells with your own genes and environment and printing your own medicine." Quickly delivered, cheap, personalized medicine. Does that sound like enough? If not, in the long long run, "You could make a matter fabricator. Beam me up, Scotty!" 
URL http://blog.ted.com/lee-cronin-at-tedglobal2012/
 
Title Through the Wormhole 
Description Lee Cronin and Cronin group research were featured on the latest episode of Through the Wormhole. Lee explained his theory of chemical evolution that pre-dates biological evolution without genes. The episode was broadcast on the Science Channel, and the Cronin Group research can be seen in the first section of the 1-hour episode. (with Morgan Freeman) 
Type Of Art Film/Video/Animation 
Year Produced 2015 
Impact Large audience. 
URL http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2qd2qu
 
Description The original CHELLNet grant lead to the purchasing of our cell microscopy equipment. Grant EP/G026130/1 was continuation funding to develop and explore the discoveries that were made when we applied equipment in an unusual way; to look at POM materials and their cation-exchange reactions under dissipative conditions. Two key discoveries were made, each of which led to a number of publications:
1) POM (polyoxometalate) based micron scale tubes that can be built from a large variety of different starting materials, can be built into networks and can be controlled in an automated way using laser heating through a multi-touch iPad interface.
2) iCHELLs - inorganic chemical cells made by interfacial aggregation of a precipitation membrane around small droplets. The iCHELL units (again based on POM materials) were shown to have size-exclusion properties, could be tuned with functionalities such as redox or chirality, and could be 'manufactured' in large populations using a microfluidic platform.
Exploitation Route These materials have a number of potential roles in: micro-patterning of metal oxides (sensing, electronics, security-marking, coatings), hybrid membrane technology, artificial cellularity, microfluidic device manufacture. Also, we are actively pursuing a number of these areas.
Microtube growth from POM and related materials has now been seen by other researchers also..
Sectors Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Chemicals,Electronics,Energy,Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology
 
Description Findings have been used to integrate new technologies to improve the control over the nanotubes growth, and make them more reliable and controllable