Applications of synthetic polymers directed toward living cells

Cells execute remarkable functions using biopolymers synthesized from natural building blocks. Engineering cells to leverage the vast array of synthesizable abiotic polymers could provide enhanced or entirely new cellular functions. Here we discuss the applications of in situ-synthesized abiotic polymers in three distinct domains: intracellular polymerization, cell-surface polymerization and extracellular polymerization. These advances have led to novel applications in various areas, such as cancer therapy, cell imaging, cellular activity manipulation, cell protection and electrode assembly. Examples of these synthetic approaches can be applied across all domains of life, ranging from microbes and cultured mammalian cells to plants and animals. Finally, we discuss challenges and future opportunities in this emerging field, which could enable new synthetic approaches to influence biological processes and functions.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Science Foundation Future Manufacturing Program grant (award no. 2037164) and the Keck Foundation. Z.B. is a CZ Biohub-San Francisco Investigator and an Arc Institute Innovation Investigator. A.Z. acknowledges support from the American Heart Association (AHA; award no. 23POST1018301).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA Anqi Zhang, Spencer Zhao, Jonathan Tyson & Zhenan Bao
  2. Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA Anqi Zhang, Jonathan Tyson & Karl Deisseroth
  3. Department of Chemistry and the Sarafan Chemistry, Engineering & Medicine for Human Health (ChEM-H), Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA Jonathan Tyson
  4. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA Karl Deisseroth
  5. Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA Karl Deisseroth
  1. Anqi Zhang