Assembly of Multi-Compartment Cell Mimics by Droplet-Based Microfluidics

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in multi-compartment systems as a means of developing materials that mimic the structure and function of biological cells. These hierarchical systems, including artificial cells and cell-like reactors, can efficiently perform biochemical tasks by exploiting compartmentalization inspired by biological systems. However, the bottom-up design of cell mimics presents significant challenges due to the need for precise and efficient assembly of components. This short review examines recent advances in droplet-based microfluidics (DBM), which has emerged as a powerful technique for creating cell-like systems with multi-compartment architectures, precise composition, and biomimetic functionality. DBM has proven to be a reliable method for generating populations of cell-mimics with a compartment-in-compartment structure, some of which have adaptable properties that resemble the dynamic properties of natural cells. Notable examples will be discussed to illustrate how droplet-based microfluidics provides a versatile approach to create, manipulate, and study cell-mimics.