Ane Bretschneider Søgaard

Chemical molecules can modify synthetic and human cell functions

Synthetic biology

Ane Bretschneider Søgaard and her group have made scientific progress using artificial surface receptors, which hold both biotechnological and biomedical potential. 

A sub-discipline of synthetic biology is the use of artificial building blocks to imitate nature and thus modify cell functions. Doctor of Nanoscience Ane Bretschneider Søgaard has helped advance the field of cell modification. Researchers working on cell modification can take a genetic or chemical approach, and even though Ane holds a master’s degree in molecular biology and genetics, she took the chemical approach as a PhD scholar working in Professor Alex Zelikin’s lab of medicinal chemistry. ”I worked as a trouble-shooter, drawing on my biological perspective. Among other things, I established a protocol for the production of synthetic cells, and we then designed chemical receptor molecules and inserted them into the synthetic cells, where they are able to ‘sense’ the presence of natural enzymes outside the cell and activate a response inside the cell,” Ane explains. This shows that it is possible, using organic synthesis, to produce simple molecules that can serve as surface receptors and enable synthetic cells to respond to external stimulus, which may potentially be used as a cell-free biosensor in the future. ”A different chemical surface receptor design can be used on human cells. It enables the uptake of specific proteins, which facilitates the delivery of drugs to the modified cells. In the future, it could potentially remove disease-related proteins,” Ane says. To demonstrate both applications, Ane conducted the two very different projects as part of her PhD. She continues her work as a postdoc in the Zelikin Lab.