Synthetic RNA 'nanostars' create programmable compartments in bacteria

Researchers from the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology (CEB) have discovered a new way to organize molecules inside living cells, paving the way for more controlled and efficient biomanufacturing. The team published a paper in Nature Communications demonstrating that engineered RNA molecules can self-assemble into membrane-less organelles inside Escherichia coli (E. coli).