Inspire Rings

Synthetic biologists aim to recreate the tiny building blocks, machines and mechanical quirks found inside our cells. Life inspires their biomimetic machines, but one design remains elusive – how to build a dividing cell. Living cells split using actomyosin rings made from stretchy bundles of actin (highlighted in green) and myosin that contract to ‘pinch’ one cell into two during cytokinesis. Here researchers investigate rings forming around giant unilamellar vesicles – pockets of chemicals that mimic cells – using mathematical models to explore their properties. By generating subtly different rings, and changing how they attach to the vesicle’s membrane, they take a step closer to simulating cell division, understanding more about embryonic development and diseases like cancer.

Written by John Ankers

John Ankers

Writer

A former researcher in systems biology, John is now an online biology tutor and professional coach supporting the wellbeing of scientists and NHS professionals. He's writing, too, of course.

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• Image from work by Thomas Litschel and colleagues
• Department of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
• Image originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
• Published in Nature Communications, April 2021