A DNA-based antiviral toolkit for immune-like responses in synthetic cells

Synthetic cell science aims to replicate the behaviours of living matter in cell-like objects, promising to bring about revolutionary solutions in biotechnology and healthcare. As part of these efforts, the goal of synthetic immunity is to mimic the sophisticated functionalities and machinery of the immune system, which allow to recognise pathogens and swiftly respond to prevent and alleviate disease. DNA nanotechnology is a prime toolkit to prescribe all aspects of human-made replicas of biological machinery, allowing control over structure and dynamics at the nanoscale.
This PhD project aims at deploying DNA-based virus neutralisers (DARTs) to construct "immune-like" synthetic cells that detect and respond to the presence of virions. Owing to their modular nature, simple design updates to exchange aptamers will grant DARTs the ability to target several types of viruses, constituting a broad-spectrum antiviral toolkit. The efficacy of DARTs to prevent infection will be measured in vitro with live-cell cultures. Synthetic cells, constructed using giant unilamellar vesicles, will be engineered to detect the presence of viruses and respond by releasing DARTs from their lumen to achieve viral inhibition. With DARTs, these immuno-mimetic synthetic cells pave the way for developing, for instance, smart diagnostics, next-generation molecular therapeutics, and vaccine technologies.