One major objective in synthetic biology is the bottom-up assembly of functional nanocells. These structures consist of lipid or polymer membranes, which serve as architectural scaffolds for functional modules such as membrane and soluble proteins. The former is embedded in the membrane, while the latter is encapsulated inside the container. The correct orientation of membrane proteins in the membrane is essential in order to avoid functional short circuits and obtain fully functional nanocells.
In this project, we propose the use of fusion proteins combined with clipping proteins to functionalize nanocells with more than one type of membrane protein.