© Raphael Schleutker

Research Topic

The research aim of our group is the spatiotemporal control of cell-material and cell-cell interactions and associated processes in natural and synthetic minimal cells by using visible light. These photoswitchable interactions offer non-invasive remote control over cell adhesions, enable us to self-assemble and self-sort cells into multicellular functional architectures with high precision, regulate their interactions with synthetic materials, produce hybrid systems with defined communication and to study the underlying biology. Synthetic minimal cells, which reduce complexity and yet capture key features of natural cells, allow us to quantify and correlate cell behavior with molecular information. This will enable us to address questions in cell biology as well as engineer new synthetic cells.

Selected Publications

  • Rasoulinejad, S.; Mueller, M.; Nzigou Mombo, B.; Wegner, S. V. (2020). Orthogonal Blue and Red Light Controlled Cell–Cell Adhesions Enable Sorting-out in Multicellular Structures. ACS Synth. Biol., 9, 2076.
  • Mueller, M.; Rasoulinejad, S.; Garg, S.; Wegner, S. V. (2020). The Importance of Cell–Cell Interaction Dynamics in Bottom-Up Tissue Engineering: Concepts of Colloidal Self-Assembly in the Fabrication of Multicellular Architectures. Nano Lett., 20, 2257.
  • Chen, F.; Wegner, S. V. (2020). Blue-Light-Switchable Bacterial Cell–Cell Adhesions Enable the Control of Multicellular Bacterial Communities. ACS Synth. Biol., 9, 1169.
  • Sentürk, O. I.; Schauer, O.; Chen, F.; Sourjik, V.; Wegner S. V. (2020). Red/Far‐Red Light Switchable Cargo Attachment and Release in Bacteria‐Driven Microswimmers. Adv. Healthc. Mater., 9,1900956
  • Sentürk, O. I.; Chervyachkova, E.; Ji, Y.; Wegner, S. V. (2019). Independent Blue and Red Light Triggered Narcissistic Self‐Sorting Self‐Assembly of Colloidal Particles. Small, 15, 1901801.
  • Xu, D.; Bartelt, S. M.; Rasoulinejad, S.; Chen, F.; Wegner, S. V. (2019). Green light lithography: a general strategy to create active protein and cell micropatterns. Mater. Horiz., 6, 1222.
  • Bartelt, S. M.; Chervyachkova, E.; Ricken, J.; Wegner, S. V. (2019). Mimicking Adhesion in Minimal Synthetic Cells. Adv. Biosys., 1800333.
  • Ricken, J.; Medda, R.; Wegner, S. V. (2019). Photo-ECM: A Blue Light Photoswitchable Synthetic Extracellular Matrix Protein for Reversible Control over Cell–Matrix Adhesion. Adv. Biosys., 1800302.
  • Yüz, S. G.; Rasoulinejad, S.; Mueller, M.; Wegner, A. E.; Wegner, S. V. (2019). Blue Light Switchable Cell–Cell Interactions Provide Reversible and Spatiotemporal Control Towards Bottom-Up Tissue Engineering. Adv. Biosys., 1800310.
  • Yüz, S.G.; Ricken, J.; Wegner, S.V. (2018). Independent Control over Multiple Cell Types in Space and Time Using Orthogonal Blue and Red Light Switchable Cell Interactions. Adv. Sci., 5, 1800446.