One-step construction of robust protocells and prototissues in water

Abstract Bottom-up assembly of protocell building blocks into self-supporting, macroscopic, and robust prototissues that are stable in water and exhibit biomimetic behaviors remains a fundamental challenge. Here, we present a gas-liquid microfluidics-assisted diffusion-inhibited complexation strategy that enables low-cost, high-throughput fabrication of protocells and precise, large-scale (>10 cm) 3D construction of prototissues. The resulting prototissues display good mechanical integrity in both water and air and resist disintegration under external perturbations. By modulating the surrounding matrix or integrating bioactive components into the prototissue framework, programmable deformation/motion can be achieved through chemo-mechanical transduction. This strategy provides a platform for modeling the intricate behaviors of living systems and may facilitate applications in synthetic biology and bioengineering.