Synthetic tissues Our goal is to build synthetic tissues capable of sensing and dynamically interacting with living cells. These synthetic tissues are constructed from droplet networks — picolitre-sized aqueous compartments interfaced by lipid bilayers — forming a highly versatile and programmable platform. Individual droplets can be loaded with therapeutics for targeted delivery, embedded with logic-processing components, or designed as sense-and-respond systems that react to specific biological cues. To precisely control the spatial organisation of synthetic tissue function, we employ a custom-built 3D droplet printer, enabling the accurate patterning and positioning of droplets with high resolution. The lipid bilayers formed at droplet interfaces are routinely functionalised with membrane proteins, which serve as molecular channels and switches — allowing droplets to communicate with one another and exchange signals with the external environment.

Selected publications

• High-resolution Patterned Delivery of Chemical Signals From 3D-Printed Picolitre Droplet Networks. J. Riexinger, T. Caganek, X. Wang, Y. Yin, K. Chung, L. Zhou, H. Bayley, and R. Krishna Kumar, Adv. Mater. 2412292 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202412292

• Hierarchical assembly of modular synthetic tissues from 3D-printed building blocks. A. Alcinesio, I. Cazimoglu, G. R. Kimmerly, V. Restrepo-Schild, R. Krishna Kumar, H. Bayley, Adv. Funct. Mater. 32, 210773 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202107773

• Functional multivesicular structures with controlled architecture from 3D-printed droplet networks. A. Alcinesio, R. Krishna Kumar, H. Bayley, ChemSystemsChem 4, e202100036 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1002/syst.202100036