Remodeling of lipid-foam prototissues by network-wide tension fluctuations induced by active particles

Recent advances in the field of bottom-up synthetic biology have led to the development of synthetic cells that mimic some features of real cells, such as division, protein synthesis or DNA replication. Larger assemblies of synthetic cells might be used to form proto-tissues. However, existing proto-tissues are limited by their relatively small lateral dimensions or lack of remodeling ability. In this study, we introduce a lipid-based tissue mimetic that can be easily prepared and functionalized, consisting of a millimeter-sized “lipid-foam” with individual micrometer-sized compartments bound by lipid bilayers. We characterize the structural and mechanical properties of the lipid-foam tissue-mimetic. We demonstrate self-healing capabilities enabled by the fluidly of the lipid bilayers. Upon inclusion of bacteria in the tissue compartments we observe the tissue-mimetic exhibits network-wide tension fluctuations driven by cooperative interactions of swimming bacteria. Active tension fluctuations facilitate fluidization and reorganization of the lipid foam tissue mimetic, providing a versatile platform for understanding and mimicking biological tissues. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest.