News
An artificial multicellular system with spatiotemporal dynamics published in Nature Chemistry
Using water-in-oil droplets, we have created two-dimensional networks of artificial cells separated by lipid bilayer interfaces. Within this "micro-tissue" the cells can communicate via the exchange of small molecule signals. Coupling these signals to cell-free genetic...[more]
Enhanced Efficiency of an Enzyme Cascade on DNA-Activated Silica Surfaces - published in Langmuir
K. Vogele, J. List, F. C. Simmel, T. Pirzer Langmuir (2018). This article is part of the Nucleic Acids Nanoscience at Interfaces special issue. DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b01770 [more]
Artificial Gel-based Organelles for Spatial Organization of Cell-free Gene Expression Reactions - published in Angewandte Chemie
L. Aufinger, F. C. Simmel Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 57, published online (2018) DOI: 10.1002/anie.201809374[more]
A DNA navigator solves mazes on origami - collaboration work with Chunhai Fan and Huajie Liu published in Nature Materials
In a Chinese-German collaboration with Chunhai Fan, Huajie Liu and coworkers, localized DNA strand displacement cascades were realized that allow exploration of paths in tree-like graphs defined on the origami platforms. Read the full story here: J. Chao, J. Wang, F. Wang, X....[more]
iGEM team wins big at giant jamboree in Boston
This years iGEM team Munich, hosted by the Simmel lab, wins multiple trophies in the overgraduate section at the iGEM giant jamboree: "Best Manufacturing Project", "Best Presentation", "Best Wiki", "Best Software Tool", "Best...[more]
Functional Surface-immobilization of Genes Using Multistep Strand Displacement Lithography - video article published in JoVE
G. Pardatscher*, M. Schwarz-Schilling*, S. Sagredo, F. C. SimmelJ. Vis. Exp. (140), e58634, (2018)DOI: 10.3791/58634 [more]
Towards synthetic cells using peptide-based reaction compartments - published in Nature Communications
K. Vogele, T. Frank, L. Gasser, M. A. Goetzfried, M. W. Hackl, S. A. Sieber, F. C. Simmel, and Tobias PirzerNature Communications 9, 3862:1–7 (2018)DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06379-8[more]
Filamentation and restoration of normal growth in Escherichia coli using a combined CRISPRi sgRNA/antisense RNA approach - appeared in PLOS ONE
A. Mückl*, M. Schwarz-Schilling*, K. Fischer, and F. C. SimmelPLOS ONE, 13(9): e0198058 (2018)DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0198058[more]
The Simmel Lab is hosting the 2018 iGEM Munich team
The international Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Competition is the biggest synthetic biology student competition in the world with over 300 teams from 44 countries. Following last year's success, the Simmel lab is again supervising a team of highly motivated students who...[more]
Optimized Assembly of a Multifunctional RNA-Protein Nanostructure in a Cell-Free Gene Expression System
M. Schwarz-Schilling, A. Dupin, F. Chizzolini, S. Krishnan, S. S. Mansy, and F. C. SimmelNano Letters 18, 2650–2657 (2018)DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.8b00526[more]
DNA Robot Arm - Perspective Article, Cover image of Science and Animated Video
Perspective article by Björn Högberg: Remote control of nanoscale devices http://science.sciencemag.org/content/359/6373/279 Cover of Science Vol 359, Issue 6373: http://science.sciencemag.org/content/359/6373 Animated video: https://youtu.be/K9fuSVaszyg[more]
iGem team wins second prize in the world championship in synthetic biology in Boston
After developing their interdisciplinary diagnostics project over the summer in the laboratory of Prof. Dr. Friedrich Simmel, the Munich team (TUM and LMU) was awarded the 1st Runner Up Prize of the "Overgraduate" section. Furthermore, it received special awards in the...[more]
Condensed DNA maze as cover of Nature Nanotechnology
Cover of Nature Nanotechnology (December 2016). Link Image of the month by 'Wired UK' (02/17) Ten years in images (Nature Nanotechnology anniversary feature). DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2016.190 Image of the month by 'Spektrum der Wissenschaft' (October 2016). Link Images of the...[more]
Self-Assembled Active Plasmonic Waveguide with a Peptide-Based Thermomechanical Switch
K. Vogele, J. List, G. Pardatscher, N. B. Holland, F. C. Simmel, and T. Pirzer DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.6b06635[more]
DNA origami rotaxanes chosen as 'Biomedical Picture of the Day'
bpod.mrc.ac.uk/archive/2016/10/29[more]
Molecular transport through large-diameter DNA nanopores
Swati Krishnan, Daniela Ziegler, Vera Arnaut, Thomas G. Martin, Korbinian Kapsner, Katharina Henneberg, Andreas R. Bausch, Hendrik Dietz & Friedrich C. Simmel DOI:10.1038/ncomms12787[more]
Friedrich Simmel receives the Rozenberg Tulip Award 2016
“The DNA Computing Scientist 2016” goes to Friedrich Simmel for his contributions in advancing DNA based networks and self-organization of DNA-based systems. isnsce.org/2016/10/05/award-winners-at-dna22/[more]
Electrotransfection of Polyamine Folded DNA Origami Structures
Aradhana Chopra, Swati Krishnan, and Friedrich C. Simmel DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.6b03586[more]
DNA dominos on a chip
Normally, individual molecules of genetic material repel each other. However, when space is limited DNA molecules must be packed together more tightly. This case arises in sperm, cell nuclei and the protein shells of viruses. An international team of physicists has now succeeded...[more]