A programmable reaction-diffusion system for spatiotemporal cell signaling circuit design. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38181787/)

These scientists wanted to understand how cells in our bodies can organize molecules to do complicated things. They wanted to figure out if they could control this process by using certain proteins found in bacteria.

To do this, they created a special platform that allowed them to design and control how these proteins interacted with each other inside mammalian cells. They used two proteins called MinD and MinE, which they called MinDE.

The scientists discovered that these MinDE circuits could act like radios inside the cells. They emitted different colors of light, kind of like a rainbow, and the scientists could use special tools to analyze and understand these colors.

They were able to program these signals and connect them to the biology of the cells. This means they could make the cells do different things by controlling the proteins. For example, they could make the proteins come together and form special structures inside the cells.

By doing this, the scientists were able to see and control what was happening inside the cells at different times and lengths. This is important because it helps us understand how cells work and how we might be able to use this knowledge to help people who are sick.

In summary, these scientists created a way to control proteins inside cells using special bacteria proteins. They could make the cells do different things and see what was happening inside them. This helps us learn more about how cells work and how we can use this knowledge to help people.

Rajasekaran R., Chang CC., Weix EWZ., Galateo TM., Coyle SM. A programmable reaction-diffusion system for spatiotemporal cell signaling circuit design. Cell. 2024 Jan 18;187(2):345-359.e16. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.12.007. Epub 2024 Jan 4.