Author Spotlight: Membrane Protein Reconstitution in Synthetic Cells

Our protocol addresses the reconstitution of a membrane protein within the lipid bilayer of a synthetic cell made using the inverted droplet emulsion method. The advantage of using the inverted droplet emulsion method is its ability to generate synthetic cells that provide a stable environment for the cell-free expression of membrane proteins. Our protocol offers a robust method for researchers in the field to synthesize membrane proteins inside synthetic cells using cell-free expression system.

My lab is working on reconstituting various ion channels in synthetic cells through the reconstitution of the action potential by a well-defined set of ion channels.