IMRE develops synthetic cell membranes to speed up drug discovery process

The patented synthetic cell membranes are tucked into a polymer matrix outside a cellular environment.

The synthetic cell membranes, which are essentially membrane proteins, create a platform for researchers to work.

The artificial cell membranes allow researchers to study interactions between membrane proteins, drugs and other compounds without the hassle of using living materials.

At IMRE, a team of researchers led by Madhavan Nallani used synthetic materials to mimic biological processes.

Nallani said they have harnessed natural cellular processes to fabricate a simple yet functional system using engineered materials to mimic the cell membrane and its proteins.