Abstract
Cell membrane adhesion is a key event in many cellular processes, but difficult to study in molecular detail in the context of a whole cell. The aim of this project is developing smart lipid vesicles-based protocells that attach to each other and to cells in response to chemical or physical stimuli. By using simple chemical receptors and ligands instead of the proteins responsible for cell adhesion, will be able to study in detail the adhesion process and derive a mathematical model describing it. The power of the model will be showcased by designing a vesicle that attaches selectively to a cell.
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