NYU Researchers Show Oil Droplets Mimicking Cellular Morphogenesis

NYU Researchers Demonstrate Oil Droplets Mimicking Cellular Morphogenesis

Morphogenesis—the capacity of cells and tissues to reshape themselves, build compartments, and engulf material—typically requires a sophisticated molecular toolkit in biological organisms. However, the NYU team discovered that this shape-shifting behavior can be replicated using only oil, water, and soap-like molecules. What surprised us is that you don’t need that cellular machinery to get the same kinds of behavior, said Stefano Sacanna, a professor of chemistry at NYU and co-senior author of the study, according to Bioengineer.org.

Spontaneous Transformations and Reversible Pathways

In their experiments, the researchers combined microscopic oil droplets floating in water with a soap-like molecule known as P123 block copolymer. When introduced to the spherical droplets, the soap-like substance caused them to spontaneously morph into various complex structures. These include flower-like formations, branching tree-like forms resembling dendritic immune cells, dumbbells, discs, and cups.

Unlike biological cells in nearly all living creatures, this transformation process is fully reversible and controllable. By altering the concentration of the soap molecule or by warming and cooling the sample, the researchers were able to steer the droplets back and forth through the morphogenetic pathway.

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Furthermore, under specific conditions, the droplets fold inward, wrap around surrounding fluid, and trap nearby suspended particles inside to form a sealed capsule or shell. This swallowing behavior closely mirrors a cellular process called macropinocytosis, sometimes described as ‘cell drinking,’ where a cell gulps down a bit of its surroundings. Our droplets do this on their own, with no biological parts involved, explained Florent Fessler, a postdoctoral associate at Astrobiology.com and the study’s first author.

Broader Implications and Scientific Limitations

While the physical transformations strongly resemble cellular morphogenesis, the study authors emphasize that they are neither reproducing cell biochemistry nor creating artificial life. Instead, the discovery provides a novel model system to investigate how cells shape and form their structures under controlled conditions.

These changes are difficult to isolate in living cells, so a model system provides a simpler, more controlled platform to study the physical principles behind cellular behavior, noted Paul Chaikin, Silver Professor of Physics at NYU and co-senior author of the study.

Looking ahead, the research points toward the development of smart, adaptive materials capable of reshaping in response to environmental changes or capturing cargo upon demand. Under the right conditions, these droplets can restructure and engulf what’s around them, forming a protective capsule or shell. This tiny container could protect precious cargo—and because this shape change is non-specific and quite versatile, it could have many potential applications, Sacanna stated.

Additional authors contributing to the study include Adam W. Hauser, Hailiang Liu, and Zhe Xu of NYU. The research received financial support from the Department of Energy under grant DE-SC0020971.