Evidence map›Paper›PMID 23851358›Full record

ArticleNature nanotechnology2013

Molecular crowding shapes gene expression in synthetic cellular nanosystems.

Cheemeng Tan, Saumya Saurabh, Marcel P Bruchez, Russell Schwartz, Philip Leduc

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature nanotechnology, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 94 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
94citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

94 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Macromolecule-Driven Supramolecular Polymerization Induced by Crowding Effects.Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English) · 2025
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Review
  10. Article
  11. Macromolecular crowding: Sensing without a sensor.Current opinion in cell biology · 2023
    Review
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Engineering Cyborg Bacteria Through Intracellular Hydrogelation.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2023
    Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Article

34 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Cheemeng TanLane Center for Computational Biology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA.
Saumya Saurabh
Marcel P Bruchez
Russell Schwartz
Philip Leduc

Funding

Fluorescent Biosensors for Networks and PathwaysU54GM103529 · NIGMS · CARNEGIE-MELLON UNIVERSITY · PI WAGGONER, ALAN S. · 2012 to 2013
$6.3M
Heterogeneous Cancer Progression from Microarray DataR01CA140214 · NCI · CARNEGIE-MELLON UNIVERSITY · PI SCHWARTZ, RUSSELL S · 2009 to 2013
$1.4M
Inferring in vivo Capsid Assembly Kinetics from in vitro by Stochastic SimulationR01AI076318 · NIAID · CARNEGIE-MELLON UNIVERSITY · PI SCHWARTZ, RUSSELL S · 2009 to 2012
$1.1M
Bright Blinking Probes for Fast Multicolor Superresolution Imaging in Live CellsR01GM086237 · NIGMS · CARNEGIE-MELLON UNIVERSITY · PI BRUCHEZ, MARCEL P · 2009 to 2010
$347k
NCI NIH HHS 1R01CA140214NCI NIH HHS R01 CA140214NIAID NIH HHS 1R01AI076318NIAID NIH HHS R01 AI076318NIGMS NIH HHS 1R01GM086237NIGMS NIH HHS 8U54GM103529NIGMS NIH HHS R01 GM086237NIGMS NIH HHS U54 GM103529
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The integration of synthetic and cell-free biology has made tremendous strides towards creating artificial cellular nanosystems using concepts from solution-based chemistry, where only the concentrations of reacting species modulate gene expression rates. However, it is known that macromolecular crowding, a key feature in natural cells, can dramatically influence biochemical kinetics via volume exclusion effects, which reduce diffusion rates and enhance binding rates of macromolecules. Here, we demonstrate that macromolecular crowding can increase the robustness of gene expression by integrating synthetic cellular components of biological circuits and artificial cellular nanosystems. Furthermore, we reveal how ubiquitous cellular modules, including genetic components, a negative feedback loop and the size of the crowding molecules can fine-tune gene circuit response to molecular crowding. By bridging a key gap between artificial and living cells, our work has implications for efficient and robust control of both synthetic and natural cellular circuits.

Indexed as

Gene ExpressionBacteriophage T7Computer SimulationDiffusionDNA-Directed RNA PolymerasesMacromolecular SubstancesMolecular StructureNanotechnologyPromoter Regions, GeneticViral Proteinsbacteriophage T7 RNA polymeraseDNA-Directed RNA PolymerasesMacromolecular SubstancesViral Proteins

Identifiers

PMID23851358
PMCPMC3951305

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.