Publications

Burgstaller, A., Lopez, E., Hwang, G., Jahnke, K. & Staufer, O.

Formation of assembloids by DNA-mediated synthetic cell self-assembly

Soft Matter 22(25), 4348 (2026).

https://doi.org/10.1039/d6sm00119j

Uses DNA as a kind of molecular glue to make lab-made, cell-like droplets stick together and self-organize into larger, tissue-like clusters.

Lieber, A., Staufer, O., Sun, Z., Engel, U., Flory, C., Mikhaylenko, N., Jahnke, K., Kopp, K., Klein, P., Hofmann, S., Fackler, O., Ivanov, P., Platzman, I., Scaturro, P., Spatz, J. & Ruggieri, A.

Stress granule phase separation in stress-responsive cytosolic extract-in-oil droplets

Nature Communications 17(1), 5011 (2026).

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-73936-x

Shows that stress granules — clumps of protein and RNA that cells form under stress — can be recreated and studied inside cell-free, oil-encapsulated droplets that mimic a cell's interior.

Jahnke, K.

Tau as a matchmaker of the cytoskeleton

Newton 2(6) (2026).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.newton.2026.100467

A short perspective piece on new evidence that the protein Tau, best known for its role in Alzheimer's disease, also acts as a matchmaker that links different parts of the cell's internal skeleton together.

Yan, J., Bhadane, R., Xu, W., Ran, M., Ma, X., Li, Y., Jahnke, K., Ma, X., Salo-Ahen, O., Kostiainen, M., Weitz, D. & Zhang, H.

High-sensitivity, protein-independent detection of dsDNA sequences

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 123(6), e2515765123 (2026).

https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2515765123

Develops a new, more sensitive way to detect specific DNA sequences without relying on protein-based sensors.

Menge, J., Yang, C., Weitz, D. & Jahnke, K.

Engineering the biophysical properties of lipid nanostructures for drug delivery

Communications Materials 7(1), 25 (2026).

https://doi.org/10.1038/s43246-026-01073-5

A review of how the physical properties of lab-made lipid nanostructures — such as their stiffness and shape — can be engineered to improve drug delivery.

Giaveri, S., Abil, Z., Kohyama, S., Fu, M., Levrier, A., Adamala, K., Chinantuya, W., Dekker, C., Deng, N., Fredens, J., Hagino, K., Jahnke, K., Li, X., Lindner, A., Liu, C., Majumder, S., Noireaux, V., Schwille, P. & Westensee, I.

Building a Synthetic Cell Together

Nature Communications 16(1), 7488 (2025).

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62778-8

A community-wide perspective in which leading labs outline a shared roadmap and open challenges for building a fully functional synthetic cell from scratch.

Yang, C., Menge, J., Zhvania, N., Yu, M., Yang, H., Chen, D., Zheng, Z., Weitz, D. & Jahnke, K.

Engineering Asymmetric Nanoscale Vesicles for mRNA and Protein Delivery to Cells

Advanced Functional Materials 35(35), 2505738 (2025).

https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202505738

Shows that giving lab-made lipid vesicles a different composition on their inner versus outer surface makes them much better at delivering mRNA and proteins, including gene-editing machinery, into cells.

Liu, C., Liu, Y., Xue, C., Yang, C., Weitz, D. & Jahnke, K.

Engineering Liposomes

ACS Nano 19(25), 22988 (2025).

https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.5c02767

Designs liposomes coated with cell-membrane proteins that can block the transfer of pigment-containing melanosomes between skin cells, a strategy relevant to treating pigmentation disorders.

Jahnke, K., Struve, N., Hofmann, D., Gote, M., Bach, M., Kriegs, M. & Hausmann, M.

Formation of EGFRwt/EGFRvIII homo- and hetero-dimers in glioblastoma cells as detected by single molecule localization microscopy

Nanoscale 16(32), 15240 (2024).

https://doi.org/10.1039/d4nr01570c

Uses super-resolution microscopy to show how normal and mutant versions of a cancer-linked receptor protein pair up on the surface of glioblastoma brain tumor cells.

Jahnke, K., Pavlovic, M., Xu, W., Chen, A., Knowles, T., Arriaga, L. & Weitz, D.

Polysaccharide functionalization reduces lipid vesicle stiffness

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 121(22), e2317227121 (2024).

https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2317227121

Shows that coating lipid vesicles with sugar-based polymers (polysaccharides) makes their membranes softer, a property that could be tuned for drug-delivery applications.

Jahnke, K., Illig, M., Scheffold, M., Tran, M., Mersdorf, U. & Göpfrich, K.

DNA Origami Signaling Units Transduce Chemical and Mechanical Signals in Synthetic Cells

Advanced Functional Materials 34(20), 2301176 (2024).

https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202301176

Builds tiny DNA-origami devices that can sense chemical or mechanical signals and relay them across the membrane of synthetic cells, mimicking how real cells communicate.

Jahnke, K. & Staufer, O.

Membranes on the move: The functional role of the extracellular vesicle membrane for contact-dependent cellular signalling

Journal of Extracellular Vesicles 13(4), e12436 (2024).

https://doi.org/10.1002/jev2.12436

A review examining how the membrane of extracellular vesicles — tiny particles cells release to communicate — actively shapes how those vesicles signal to other cells.

Illig, M., Jahnke, K., Weise, L., Scheffold, M., Mersdorf, U., Drechsler, H., Zhang, Y., Diez, S., Kierfeld, J. & Göpfrich, K.

Triggered contraction of self-assembled micron-scale DNA nanotube rings

Nature Communications 15(1), 2307 (2024).

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-46339-z

Builds self-assembling rings from DNA nanotubes that can be triggered to contract, mimicking how ring-shaped protein structures help cells divide.

Jahnke, K. & Göpfrich, K.

Engineering DNA-based cytoskeletons for synthetic cells

Interface Focus 13(5), 20230028 (2023).

https://doi.org/10.1098/rsfs.2023.0028

A review of how DNA nanotechnology can be used to build artificial, programmable versions of the cell's internal skeleton for synthetic cells.

Yang, J., Jahnke, K., Xin, L., Jing, X., Zhan, P., Peil, A., Griffo, A., Škugor, M., Yang, D., Fan, S., Göpfrich, K., Yan, H., Wang, P. & Liu, N.

Modulating

Nano Letters 23(14), 6330 (2023).

https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c00750

Shows that networks of DNA origami attached to lipid membranes can actively reshape the membrane, offering a way to control the shape of synthetic cells.

Tran, M., Chatterjee, R., Dreher, Y., Fichtler, J., Jahnke, K., Hilbert, L., Zaburdaev, V. & Göpfrich, K.

A DNA Segregation Module for Synthetic Cells

Small 19(13), 2202711 (2023).

https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202202711

Designs a DNA-based mechanism that can sort and separate molecular cargo into different regions within a synthetic cell, mimicking how real cells organize their contents.

Dreher, Y., Fichtler, J., Karfusehr, C., Jahnke, K., Xin, Y., Keller, A. & Göpfrich, K.

Genotype-phenotype mapping with polyominos made from DNA origami tiles

Biophysical Journal 121(24), 4840 (2022).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpj.2022.09.006

Uses DNA-origami building blocks that self-assemble into different shapes to study how a molecule's design determines the structure it forms.

Bergmann, A., Donau, C., Späth, F., Jahnke, K., Göpfrich, K. & Boekhoven, J.

Evolution and Single-Droplet Analysis of Fuel-Driven Compartments by Droplet-Based Microfluidics

Angewandte Chemie International Edition 61(32), e202203928 (2022).

https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202203928

Tracks individual, chemically fuelled liquid droplets over time to study how they grow, shrink, and evolve, a step toward understanding the origins of cell-like compartments.

Zhan, P., Jahnke, K., Liu, N. & Göpfrich, K.

Functional DNA-based cytoskeletons for synthetic cells

Nature Chemistry 14(8), 958 (2022).

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-022-00945-w

Builds an artificial, DNA-based version of the cell's internal skeleton that can be dynamically assembled and disassembled inside synthetic cells; this work was also highlighted as a research highlight in Nature.

Walther, T., Jahnke, K., Abele, T. & Göpfrich, K.

Printing and Erasing of DNA-Based Photoresists Inside Synthetic Cells

Advanced Functional Materials 32(25), 2200762 (2022).

https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202200762

Develops a light-controlled method to draw and erase DNA-based patterns inside synthetic cells, similar to a reusable, light-activated ink.

Jahnke, K., Huth, V., Mersdorf, U., Liu, N. & Göpfrich, K.

Bottom-Up

ACS Nano 16(5), 7233 (2022).

https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.1c10703

Builds synthetic cells from the ground up using a DNA-based internal skeleton, demonstrating a key step toward fully artificial, cell-like systems.

Jahnke, K., Maurer, S., Weber, C., Bücher, J., Schoenit, A., D’Este, E., Cavalcanti-Adam, E. & Göpfrich, K.

Actomyosin-Assisted Pulling of Lipid Nanotubes from

Nano Letters 22(3), 1145 (2022).

https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.1c04254

Shows that a reconstituted version of the cell's own molecular motors (actin and myosin) can pull thin membrane tubes out of both lipid vesicles and living cells.

Abele, T., Messer, T., Jahnke, K., Hippler, M., Bastmeyer, M., Wegener, M. & Göpfrich, K.

Two-Photon 3D Laser Printing Inside Synthetic Cells

Advanced Materials 34(6), 2106709 (2022).

https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202106709

Uses a precise laser-printing technique to build tiny 3D structures directly inside synthetic cells, allowing fine control over their internal architecture.

Lussier, F., Schröter, M., Diercks, N., Jahnke, K., Weber, C., Frey, C., Platzman, I. & Spatz, J.

pH-Triggered Assembly of Endomembrane Multicompartments

ACS Synthetic Biology 11(1), 366 (2022).

https://doi.org/10.1021/acssynbio.1c00472

Uses changes in acidity as a trigger to assemble multiple nested compartments inside synthetic cells, mimicking the internal membrane organization of real cells.

Schoenit, A., Lo Giudice, C., Hahnen, N., Ollech, D., Jahnke, K., Göpfrich, K. & Cavalcanti-Adam, E.

Tuning Epithelial Cell–Cell Adhesion and Collective

Nano Letters 22(1), 302 (2022).

https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.1c03780

Creates DNA-based linker molecules that mimic natural cell-adhesion proteins, allowing researchers to precisely tune how strongly neighboring cells stick together.

Staufer, O., De Lora, J., Bailoni, E., Bazrafshan, A., Benk, A., Jahnke, K., Manzer, Z., Otrin, L., Díez Pérez, T., Sharon, J., Steinkühler, J., Adamala, K., Jacobson, B., Dogterom, M., Göpfrich, K., Stefanovic, D., Atlas, S., Grunze, M., Lakin, M., Shreve, A., Spatz, J. & López, G.

Building a community to engineer synthetic cells and organelles from the bottom-up

eLife 10, e73556 (2021).

https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.73556

A community perspective piece proposing shared goals, standards, and collaborations to advance the field of building synthetic cells and organelles from scratch.

Dreher, Y., Jahnke, K., Schröter, M. & Göpfrich, K.

Light-Triggered Cargo Loading and Division of DNA-Containing

Nano Letters 21(14), 5952 (2021).

https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.1c00822

Shows that shining light on DNA-containing lipid vesicles can trigger them to take up cargo and then divide into two daughter vesicles.

Jahnke, K., Ritzmann, N., Fichtler, J., Nitschke, A., Dreher, Y., Abele, T., Hofhaus, G., Platzman, I., Schröder, R., Müller, D., Spatz, J. & Göpfrich, K.

Proton gradients from light-harvesting E. coli control DNA assemblies for synthetic cells

Nature Communications 12(1), 3967 (2021).

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-24103-x

Engineers light-powered bacteria to generate chemical gradients that can be used as an internal power source to control DNA-based machinery inside synthetic cells.

Dreher, Y., Jahnke, K., Bobkova, E., Spatz, J. & Göpfrich, K.

Division and Regrowth of Phase-Separated Giant Unilamellar Vesicles

Angewandte Chemie International Edition 60(19), 10661 (2021).

https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202014174

Shows that giant lipid vesicles with two separated membrane regions can be triggered to divide and then regrow, mimicking a basic step of cell reproduction.

Haller, B., Jahnke, K., Weiss, M., Göpfrich, K., Platzman, I. & Spatz, J.

Autonomous Directional Motion of Actin-Containing Cell-Sized Droplets

Advanced Intelligent Systems 3(5), 2000190 (2021).

https://doi.org/10.1002/aisy.202000190

Builds cell-sized droplets containing an actin cytoskeleton that can move on their own in a consistent direction, a step toward self-propelled synthetic cells.

Jahnke, K., Grubmüller, H., Igaev, M. & Göpfrich, K.

Choice of fluorophore affects dynamic DNA nanostructures

Nucleic Acids Research 49(7), 4186 (2021).

https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkab201

Reveals that the specific fluorescent dye attached to a DNA nanostructure can unexpectedly change how that structure moves and behaves, an important caveat for the field.

Antona, S., Abele, T., Jahnke, K., Dreher, Y., Göpfrich, K., Platzman, I. & Spatz, J.

Droplet-Based Combinatorial Assay for Cell Cytotoxicity and Cytokine Release Evaluation

Advanced Functional Materials 30(46), 2003479 (2020).

https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202003479

Develops a droplet-based microfluidic platform to rapidly test many combinations of compounds at once for their toxicity to cells and effects on immune signaling.

Jahnke, K., Weiss, M., Weber, C., Platzman, I., Göpfrich, K. & Spatz, J.

Engineering Light-Responsive Contractile Actomyosin Networks with DNA Nanotechnology

Advanced Biosystems 4(9), 2000102 (2020).

https://doi.org/10.1002/adbi.202000102

Combines DNA nanotechnology with the cell's own contractile actin-myosin machinery to build networks inside synthetic cells that contract in response to light.

Schaich, M., Cama, J., Al Nahas, K., Sobota, D., Sleath, H., Jahnke, K., Deshpande, S., Dekker, C. & Keyser, U.

An Integrated Microfluidic Platform for Quantifying

Molecular Pharmaceutics 16(6), 2494 (2019).

https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.9b00086

Builds a microfluidic device that measures how efficiently different drug molecules pass through lipid membranes designed to mimic real cell membranes.

Jahnke, K., Weiss, M., Frey, C., Antona, S., Janiesch, J., Platzman, I., Göpfrich, K. & Spatz, J.

Programmable Functionalization of Surfactant-Stabilized Microfluidic Droplets via DNA-Tags

Advanced Functional Materials 29(23), 1808647 (2019).

https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.201808647

Uses short DNA tags to selectively attach different molecules to the surface of microfluidic droplets, allowing their surface chemistry to be programmed.