title: Chemical amplification with encapsulated reagents.
abstract: Autocatalysis and chemical amplification are characteristic properties of living systems, and they give rise to behaviors such as increased sensitivity, responsiveness, and self-replication. Here we report a synthetic system in which a unique form of compartmentalization leads to nonlinear, autocatalytic behavior. The compartment is a reversibly formed capsule in which a reagent is sequestered. Reaction products displace the reagent from the capsule into solution and the reaction rate is accelerated. The resulting self-regulation is sensitive to the highly selective molecular recognition properties of the capsule.
authors.affiliation: The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Steffi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Körner
authors.forename: Stephen L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Craig
authors.forename: Shirley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Dmitry M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Rudkevich
authors.forename: Julius
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rebek