Membrane-mediated transport in a non-equilibrium hybrid protocell based on coacervate droplets and a surfactant

Abstract

A hybrid protocell is constructed to investigate the membrane transport of neutral, cationic, and anionic molecules under non-equilibrium conditions. Each model molecule follows a specific pathway to be internalized and generates different distributions in the droplets. This work provides a step towards functionalization of synthetic protocells capable of biomimetic operations.