Research News
Jul 27, 2026
- Engineering
Perspective article on nanofluidics featured on the cover of “ACS Synthetic Biology”
A collaborative Perspective article by Shiming Wu, Dr. Qun Ma, Professor Yan Xu from the Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka Metropolitan University, and Professor Madoka Takai of The University of Tokyo has been published in the international journal ACS Synthetic Biology. The article, entitled "Nanofluidics for Pioneering Synthetic Biology of Bottom-Up Cell-Free Molecular Systems," was selected as the cover of its July 2026 issue.
Professor Xu's research group performs their pioneering work in nanochemical systems engineering, an emerging interdisciplinary field that integrates nanotechnology, chemistry, and systems engineering at the molecular scale using nanofluidic devices that exploit nanoscale confined spaces.
Their group has started combining their research with the field of synthetic biology, which applies engineering principles to design, construct, and control biological molecules and cells with the aim of creating new biological functions and life-like systems. Synthetic biology has increasingly focused on the development of artificial cells and cell-free molecular systems, which have broad potential applications in sustainable manufacturing, bioproduction, medicine, and environmental technologies.
In this article, the authors propose a new concept for bottom-up cell-free synthetic biology based on nanofluidic devices. By utilizing nanoscale confined spaces, the proposed approach enables biological molecules to be transported, positioned, and assembled with high precision at the single-molecule level. Rather than relying solely on conventional self-assembly, the authors introduce a new design concept called Molecular Active-Assembly, in which molecules are actively assembled at intended locations, in a defined order, and at controlled times.
This concept could advance the field toward the creation of "super cells" with capabilities beyond those of natural cells, as well as entirely new life-like systems. The work provides a promising new direction for next-generation synthetic biology and engineering biology.
The cover artwork was designed and created by the paper's first author, Shiming Wu. It depicts molecular modules being assembled like building blocks inside nanofluidic devices, illustrating a future in which artificial cells evolve into increasingly sophisticated life-like systems.
Paper information
Journal: ACS Synthetic Biology
Title: Nanofluidics for Pioneering Synthetic Biology of Bottom-Up Cell-Free Molecular Systems
Authors: Shiming Wu, Qun Ma, Madoka Takai, Yan Xu
URL: https://doi.org/10.1021/acssynbio.6c00178
Cover Image: https://pubs.acs.org/toc/asbcd6/15/7
Funding
This study was partially supported by MEXT KAKENHI (Grant Nos. JP21H05231, JP19H04678, JP17H05468), JSPS KAKENHI (Grant Nos. JP21H04640, JP19KK0129, JP24KF0160), JST SPRING (Grant Number JPMJSP2139), and 2026 Osaka Metropolitan University (OMU) Strategic Research Promotion Project (Development of International Research Hubs) (Grant No. OMU-SRPP2026_IH01).
Reference
Yan Xu's Nanofluidics Lab
https://www.omu.ac.jp/eng/chemeng8e/
Contact
Yan Xu
Graduate School of Engineering
E-mail: xuy[at]omu.ac.jp
*Please change [at] to @.
SDGs
