Scientists at New York University have created tiny oil droplets that behave in surprisingly life-like ways.
Without using genes, proteins or any of the complex machinery found inside living cells, the droplets can change into a variety of shapes and even surround and trap nearby material, much like certain cells do.
The discovery suggests that some behaviors often thought to be unique to life may arise from basic physical and chemical processes.
The study, published in Nature Communications, offers researchers a simple way to explore how cells change shape and organize themselves, while also opening the door to new materials that can adapt to their surroundings.
One of the defining features of living cells is their ability to constantly reshape themselves. Cells can stretch, fold, create internal compartments and even capture material from their environment. These activities are essential for growth, communication and survival, and they usually depend on an intricate network of biological molecules working together.
The NYU team wanted to know whether similar behaviors could occur without any biology at all.
To test the idea, the researchers combined microscopic oil droplets suspended in water with a soap-like substance known as a P123 block copolymer. When the soap-like molecules were added, the droplets did not simply remain as smooth spheres. Instead, they spontaneously transformed into a wide variety of complex shapes.
Some became flower-like structures, while others developed branching forms that resembled the dendritic shape of certain immune cells. The droplets also formed dumbbell shapes, flat discs and cup-like structures. Even more remarkably, the scientists found they could control these changes.
By increasing or decreasing the concentration of the soap-like molecules, or simply warming or cooling the liquid, the researchers could guide the droplets through different shapes. The transformations were also reversible, allowing the droplets to return to earlier forms when conditions changed.
Perhaps the most striking behavior occurred when the droplets folded inward. Under the right conditions, they wrapped around some of the surrounding liquid and trapped nearby particles inside. This process closely resembles a biological process called macropinocytosis, often described as “cell drinking,” in which living cells absorb fluid and substances from their surroundings.
Unlike real cells, however, these synthetic droplets perform this behavior entirely on their own. They do not contain DNA, proteins or any of the biological systems that normally drive such activities.
The researchers emphasize that they have not created artificial life. Instead, they have developed a simplified physical model that mimics certain features of living cells. Because living cells contain thousands of interacting molecules, it is often difficult to separate the physical forces that influence their shape. The oil droplets provide a much simpler system that allows scientists to study those forces in a controlled way.
Beyond helping researchers better understand cell behavior, the discovery may also have practical applications.
Because the droplets can reshape themselves and naturally capture nearby material, they could eventually serve as tiny containers that protect and transport valuable substances.
Future versions might be designed to carry medicines, deliver chemicals to specific locations or create smart materials that respond automatically to changes in their environment.
The researchers believe this work demonstrates that surprisingly complex, life-like behaviors can emerge from simple ingredients.
By combining only oil, water and soap-like molecules, they have shown that nature’s basic physical laws alone can produce actions that closely resemble some of the remarkable abilities of living cells.
