The SCALE Science Lunch Seminar continues on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, at 12:30 h (s.t.) with a talk by Dr. Taniya Chakraborty (Institut for Biochemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt).

Abstract
The existence of life on Earth demonstrates that it is, in principle, possible to engineer living systems from non-living matter. However, traditional top-down approaches, which rely on modifying existing biological systems, face inherent limitations, including the complexity and unpredictability of natural cellular environments and the risk of off-target effects that can compromise therapeutic outcomes. In contrast, bottom-up engineering of synthetic cells provides a controlled and modular strategy, enabling the precise design and assembly of cellular components with tailored functionalities.
Light represents a powerful external stimulus for regulating cellular processes in synthetic systems with high spatial and temporal resolution. In this context, opto-chemical and optogenetic tools based on light-responsive domains, such as LOV2, enable dynamic and reversible control over molecular interactions, including cell–cell communication and feedback signaling in synthetic cell assemblies.
In parallel, RNA serves as a versatile molecular platform for programming synthetic cells, combining functional diversity with genetic encodability. RNA can self-assemble into complex architectures, including three-dimensional RNA origami structures that mimic cytoskeletal elements and can be synthesized from a single DNA template within phospholipid vesicles. Beyond structural roles, RNA can function as a highly specific recognition element through aptamers. Their intrinsic programmability, structural adaptability, and ability to bind a wide range of molecular targets make RNA aptamers powerful tools for investigating how synthetic cells sense and respond to external cues.
This work focuses on integrating optochemical control with RNA-based functional modules to engineer synthetic cells that recapitulate fundamental aspects of cellular behavior, including signal perception, dynamic interaction, and adaptive response.

The SCALE Science Lunch Seminar will take place in hybrid format. We warmly invite you to join us in person at the MPI for Biophysics, where a light lunch and coffee will be provided after the seminar. The talk will also be streamed live via Zoom. The zoom link will be sent by e-mail to the SCALE mailing list. To subscribe to the mailing list, please send an e-mail to scale-office@uni-frankfurt.de.

We look forward to welcoming you to the next SCALE Science Lunch Seminar.