Light as a signal for nonchemical cell-to-cell communication in synthetic and biological cell communities

Engineering cell-to-cell communication is fundamental yet highly challenging for programming multicellular systems and interfacing living and biomimetic synthetic cells.

The problem lies in developing specific communication that is independent of existing chemical signaling and in connecting it to cell behavior.

Both the high complexity of intercellular signaling in living cells and the fairly limited capabilities of synthetic cells severely restrict possibilities to engineer communication in and between these two realms. Here, I propose a new nonchemical mode of cell-to-cell communication that operates with light as a signal.

I aim to develop sender cells that produce visible light as a signal that corresponding receiver cells respond to.

In this light-based communication, the signal will propagate at the speed of light independent of diffusion, will cross optically transparent barriers without the need for membrane transporters, and will allow communication even between physically separated cells. Also, the light signal will be orthogonal of native chemical signals, resulting in high specificity and no cross talk.

First, I will establish light-based communication in molecularly defined synthetic cells to decipher the central rules of this new mode of communication.

Detailed characterization (light generation, response, distance, dynamics, orthogonality) of light-based communication will provide the framework for later programming of multicellular behavior.

Second, I will transplant light-based communication into bacterial and mammalian cells, showing for the first time that communication with light is possible at the cellular level.

Last, I will engineer diverse communities of living and synthetic cells with light-based communication showing various behavior, including collaboration, predation, and defense.

Ultimately, this will pave the way for an independent, highly modular, nonchemical mode of communication for cellular bionics and cellular bioengineering.