Surface-based cell-free platform to characterize host-pathogen interactions
The immune system is one of the most complex systems of the human body. At its core, it uses protein-protein interactions to achieve the emergent property of differentiating self from other. Synthetic biology aims to implement biological functions of natural living systems, to test hypothesis and to expand them beyond their current limits. Here, we mimic key protein-protein interactions and functions of the immune system using a cell-free surface-based approach. We use innovative silicon chips to parallelize antigen display and antibody epitope screening. Linear DNA sequences are immobilized in micrometer-sized carved compartments. Phenotype and genotype are linked in every compartment by localized on-chip expression and capture of antigens. Binding to a panel of viral antigens is assessed with high specificity for monoclonal antibodies and for polyclonal antibodies in human serum, revealing a rich picture of epitopes and individual immune profiles. This platform mimics and extends the function of antigen-presenting cells, allowing us to interrogate protein-protein interaction between host receptor, pathogenic antigen and immune system.
Short bio
Dr. Aurore Dupin is a chemist-turned–synthetic biologist who trained at the Ecole Normale Supérieure de Cachan and at the University Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris. During her PhD at the TU Munich (2014-2019) in the lab of Prof. Simmel, she engineered artificial cells into large assemblies to spatially organize gene circuits. Her work demonstrated how droplet-based tissues can communicate, differentiate and form large scale spatiotemporal behaviors. She then joined the lab of Roy Bar-Ziv at the Weizmann Institute for her post-doc (2020-2025), where she used on-chip artificial cells to reconstitute pathogen-host interactions and develop diagnosis assays that characterize immune responses to viruses. Since 2025, she is a CNRS research fellow at the Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal in the University of Bordeaux. Her new lab will use artificial cell models to study dynamic regulation of gene circuits, focusing on how immune proteins can self-select based on their affinity and specificity for pathogen targets.
Laboratory of the speaker
Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal, CNRS (Bordeaux)
Invited by
Joshua Ricouvier
