Research
We study how membranes are built, regulated, and adapted — combining membrane biophysics, lipidomics, and synthetic genomics to connect molecular composition to cellular function. Our goal is to decode the principles that make a living membrane work, and use them to engineer cells with programmable physical behaviours.
RNA–lipid interactions
How do lipid membranes organize and regulate RNA?
We discovered that lipid membranes modulate RNA activity through direct, sequence-dependent interactions — G-rich sequences and G-quadruplex structures bind membranes most effectively, and changes in lipid phase state can switch ribozyme catalysis on or off. These findings reframe membranes as regulatory platforms for RNA in both modern cells and prebiotic scenarios. We are now developing RNA-based sensors of membrane physical state and engineering lipid-sensitive riboswitches.
Minimal cells and lipidome complexity
What is the minimal molecular basis for a living membrane?
Using the genomically minimal bacterium JCVI-Syn3B and Mycoplasma mycoides, we showed that as few as two lipid species can sustain a living cell — the simplest membrane known to support life. Systematic reintroduction of lipid diversity reveals that acyl chain variety matters more than headgroup variety, and that lipidome complexity correlates with growth rate and environmental robustness. These experiments establish the lipidome as an active determinant of cellular fitness.
Encoding and programming membrane phenotypes
How are membrane physical properties genomically encoded, and can we program them?
A membrane’s fluidity, thickness, and permeability are set by genes controlling lipid biosynthesis and remodelling, yet the genotype-to-membrane-phenotype map remains largely uncharted. We are closing this gap through adaptive laboratory evolution, single-cell phenotyping with biophysical membrane probes, and genome engineering of sense-and-respond circuits in minimal cells. The aim is to make membrane phenotype a programmable trait.