membranets

Membranets are networks composed of interconnected membrane-bound compartments—such as liposomes or polymersomes—designed to exchange signals and substances through selective membranes. The concept draws on ideas from membrane biology and modular artificial cells, aiming to create distributed, reconfigurable systems that behave like a tissue of synthetic compartments.

Construction: Each node is a vesicular or capsule element containing reagents or sensors. Nodes connect through engineered channels, lipid nanotubes, fusion interfaces, or nanopores that permit selective diffusion. Connectivity can be static or dynamically reconfigured via membrane fusion/fission, tethering, or controlled remodeling with external triggers. Fabrication techniques include microfluidic assembly, phase separation in supported lipid bilayers, and surface patterning to define contact points.

Properties: Membranets exhibit semipermeability, selective transport, and the potential for spatial patterning of function. They can support chemical signaling, gradient formation, and rudimentary computation through cascaded reactions or channel-mediated signals. The network's topology controls transport efficiency and robustness; error correction and energy considerations are active research topics.

Applications and status: In research contexts, membranets are explored as models of multicellular organization, as platforms for distributed bioreactors, biosensors, and organ-on-a-chip components. They offer pathways for controlled drug delivery, tissue engineering, and neuromorphic-like information processing in synthetic biology. Current work is largely in proof-of-concept stages, focusing on stability, scalability, and reliable control of inter-node communication.

See also: membrane computing, liposome networks, protocells.