Synthetic Cells is an interdisciplinary journal dedicated to advancing the science and engineering of artificial and biomimetic cellular systems. The journal provides a premier platform for the integration of synthetic biology, nanochemistry, catalysis, materials science, and bioengineering toward the rational construction of life-inspired architectures with programmable structures, dynamic functions, and adaptive behaviors.
A synthetic cell is not merely a mimic of life but an engineered system that reconfigures cellular functional units or creates entirely new cell-like entities, covering protocells, organelle mimics, mesostructured porous materials, and nanoreactors, to solve bottlenecks intractable to traditional chemistry, catalysis, or biology.
Inspired by the complexity and efficiency of natural cellular systems, the journal emphasizes the design of functional synthetic systems through precise control of matter, interfaces, energy flow, and catalytic processes across molecular and nanoscale dimensions. Particular interest is placed on biomimetic organization, confined-space catalysis, hierarchical assembly, and artificial metabolic systems for applications in sustainable catalysis, green chemistry, environmental remediation, and biomedicine.
The scope includes, but is not limited to:
- Artificial cells, protocells, synthetic organelles, and cell-mimicking architectures
- Mesostructured and nanoconfined porous materials for catalytic and biomimetic functions
- Integration of nanomaterials, enzymes, and catalytic networks for artificial metabolism and biotransformation
- Artificial photosynthesis, photocatalysis, and solar-to-chemical energy conversion
- Dynamic self-assembly, interfacial engineering, and programmable responsive systems
- Synthetic cell factories for chemical synthesis, biomass conversion, and sustainable catalysis
- Biosensing, therapeutic artificial cells, and biomedical engineering applications
- Advanced imaging, operando characterization, mechanistic investigation, and computational modeling
- Systems chemistry, non-equilibrium processes, and life-inspired adaptive materials
- Translational engineering, scalable fabrication, and industrial implementation of synthetic cellular systems
Synthetic Cells welcomes original research articles, reviews, perspectives, and interdisciplinary studies that bridge fundamental discoveries with technological innovation. The journal aims to foster a global research community dedicated to moving beyond the passive understanding of life toward the active design, construction, and application of programmable life-like systems.
By bringing together researchers from chemistry, catalysis, materials science, biology, engineering, and physics, Synthetic Cells seeks to shape the next frontier of artificial cellular science and enable transformative technologies for a sustainable future.
