Minimal chemical life
The design principle behind our protocell is simple (Rasmussen et al., 2003): Minimize the number and complexity of the physicochemical structures for the required cooperative functionalities. The minimal protocell we seek to implement consists of a particular coupling between the three central components: the genetic material (information), a metabolic system, and a container. Because simplicity is our main goal, we are not restricted to contemporary cellular structures or building blocks. Two ideas have been important to the design ... more
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Synthesis
One of the goals is to construct nanosystems and to understand the interrelationship between molecules leading to the formation of these nanosystems ... more
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Electron coordination chemistry
Considererable efforts have been made to create biomimetic systems for natural photosynthesis. More...
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Theory & Computer Simulations
We have developed a portfolio of mathematical models and computer simulations that cover a variety of scales, and address various aspects ... more
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Novel Functional Nanomaterials
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Microfluidics & Life Support
Programmable microfluidics add the functionalities of computer-controlled flows... more
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Origin of Life & Astrobiology
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Artificial life
Coming soon ...
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Possible Applications & Societal Impact
Living systems have many properties superior to most modern technological systems... more
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History of Protocell Research
It had been observed that purely physical and chemical phenomena sometimes exhibit the properties of living matter ... more
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Sponsored Projects
Our work is sponsored by several national and international funding organizations ... more
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Research Community
FLinT members are formally associated with international activities and organizations ... more
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