Job Boekhoven
@boekhovenlab.bsky.social
Prof. In Systems Chemistry trying synthesize life
🚨 New preprint! From protein & RNA condensates to synthetic coacervates and DNA nanostars, vacuoles (dilute pockets inside droplets) show up everywhere. 🫧 We explain when and why they form. 🔬🧫 📄 arxiv.org/abs/2607.25743 w/ @boekhovenlab.bsky.social sky.social @kgoepfrich.bsky.social
1/ Nature builds astonishing things by burning fuel — muscles contract, cells divide, materials heal — and never settles into equilibrium while doing it. Our field has spent a decade building synthetic versions of this. New review 🧵
Chemically Fueled Systems Chemistry Across Length Scales
Chemically fueled reaction cycles regulate processes through single and multiple catalytic sites on the molecular and assembly scale. This gives rise to unique kinetically controlled properties/funct...
advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
The 2025 RSC MASC Supramolecular Chemistry Award 🏆, our most senior award, goes to Prof Job Boekhoven @boekhovenlab.bsky.social. Congratulations, Job! Thanks @cellpress.bsky.social for sponsoring the award! #MASC2025 #RSC_MASC
I’m happy to share Hector Soria Carrera and Leonie Kauling’s recent work in Chem by @cellpress.bsky.social! A 🧵 below: www.cell.com/chem/fulltex...
Primitive genotype-phenotype coupling in fuel-dependent synthetic cells with an autocatalyst
A challenge in the de novo synthesis of life is coupling genotype with phenotype. To achieve this, we use fuel-dependent synthetic cells that host a low-fidelity replicator. This replicator increases ...
cell.com
Active droplets are fundamental in cell biology and origin of life. With Jonathan Bauermann, @boekhovenlab.bsky.social, Frank Jülicher, and @m-pol.bsky.social, we show that a critical transition influences their size, morphology, ripening and division propensity journals.aps.org/prx/abstract...
I’m happy to share Hector Soria Carrera and Leonie Kauling’s recent work in Chem by @cellpress.bsky.social! A 🧵 below: www.cell.com/chem/fulltex...
Primitive genotype-phenotype coupling in fuel-dependent synthetic cells with an autocatalyst
A challenge in the de novo synthesis of life is coupling genotype with phenotype. To achieve this, we use fuel-dependent synthetic cells that host a low-fidelity replicator. This replicator increases ...
cell.com
I am over the moon! Thank you so much @rsc-masc.bsky.social! Our work has been a group effort by the entire BoekhovenLab and alumni!
RSC MASC@rsc-masc.bsky.social · 10mo ago📣 Announcement 📣 We are delighted to announce that the 2025 Supramolecular Chemistry Award 🏆 goes to Prof Dr Job Boekhoven from TU Munich. Congratulations, Job! @boekhovenlab.bsky.social Thanks @cellpress.bsky.social for generously sponsoring the award! (1/3)
Freshly published: "Primitive genotype-phenotype coupling in fuel-dependent synthetic cells" Amazing work and a critical step towards synthetic life by Hector Soria and Leonie Kauling. A thread will follow soon: t.co/9LfrnVYzoq
How to build life from non-living components? Or perhaps a blueprint of #MatterToLife! syntheticcell.eu/a-recipe-for... Check out the recent study from @boekhovenlab.bsky.social and @hniederho.bsky.social, @tum.de www.cell.com/chem/fulltex...
A recipe for synthetic cells: non-biological components, a pinch of evolution and then... life?
The Boekhoven Lab recently engineered a cell-like system capable of producing offspring, a key prerequisite for Darwinian evolution.
syntheticcell.eu
The @boekhovenlab.bsky.social aims to build life from non-living components using #evolution. We look back at one of the group's recent results: the engineering of cell-like systems capable of producing offspring, a key prerequisite for Darwinian evolution #syncell syntheticcell.eu/a-recipe-for...
A recipe for synthetic cells: non-biological components, a pinch of evolution and then... life?
The Boekhoven Lab recently engineered a cell-like system capable of producing offspring, a key prerequisite for Darwinian evolution.
syntheticcell.eu
🗣️ @boekhovenlab.bsky.social is Associate Professor in the Bioscience Department at the @tumunich.bsky.social 🇩🇪 🎯 His research focuses on #molecular #selfassembly and #non-#equilibrium #chemically fueled #supramolecular #assemblies towards #synthetic #life from the bottom up 👌 👉 Do not miss it!
Pumping molecules against a gradient without a pump? Back-to-back with @boekhovenlab.bsky.social, we describe minimal systems that use chemical energy to transport molecules against a concentration gradient. It started with a little shock!🧵 Us: shorturl.at/smQNF Job's team: shorturl.at/zftps
Check out Monika's work published in @cp-chem.bsky.social! We’ve engineered synthetic cells that emerge, grow, and produce offspring autonomously, powered by chemical fuel. A significant stride towards synthetic life! www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
How can a cell control the size of its organelles? Excited to share a mechanism to control droplet size we recently found. a 🧵 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Our group Mesoscopic Physics of Life is now on BlueSky. Hopefully no more strange and unwanted messages ... 😆
Our university is among the top 20 universities in the world for the first time in both #NaturalSciences and #engineering & #technology in the QS World University Rankings by Subject: go.tum.de/639382 🎉 #QSWUR #SubjectRankings #HigherEducation 📷A. Eckert
TUM among the top 20 worldwide in natural sciences and engineering
In the QS World University Rankings by Subject, TUM is among the top 20 universities in both natural sciences and engineering & technology.
go.tum.de
#JungesKolleg: Die neuen Mitglieder stehen fest! Christoph Heilig @lmumuenchen.bsky.social, Maik Luu @Uniklinik Würzburg, Carolin Müller @fau.de, Robert J. Mayer @tum.de und Charlotte Wendland @lmumuenchen.bsky.social 👉 tiny.badw.de/rPTXJE Willkommen in der BAdW! Foto: @wolf-bild.bsky.social
Check out the video highlight of our recent work! youtube.com/shorts/MCJEb...
It looks like life, but… | Headline Science
YouTube video by American Chemical Society
youtube.com
It’s out!😃 2 years ago, I organized a workshop with @WebersGroup and @KGoepfrich on how to build Life. We discussed with leading scientists by day and wrote up our discussions in the eves. The "Roadmap Towards Synthetic Life" is now out in Chem! www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
A roadmap toward the synthesis of life
The synthesis of life from non-living matter has captivated and divided scientists for centuries. This bold goal aims at unraveling the fundamental pr…
sciencedirect.com
Just arrived in the beautiful Tarragona. Excited to give a lecture at the amazing ICIQ tomorrow. iciq.org/event/regula...
Regulating molecular assembly with chemical fuels— Spinning ribbons, dissipative structures, and an approach towards synthetic life - ICIQ
iciq.org
📣Open Call for Fellowships: International scientists who would like to work closely with scientists @tumuenchen.bsky.social and visit us for extend periods can still be nominated until 18 February! More information: ias.tum.de/ias/programs... Open Call: ias.tum.de/ias/news-eve...
This week's #WednesdayCoffeeTalk: “Converting chemical energy into motion” by @boekhovenlab.bsky.social! Online at 1 pm - DM us for Zoom info! ias.tum.de/ias/news-eve...
Now published in JACS! Pablo found an easy way to divide fatty acid-based protocells. Simplicity first: All you need is to add carbodiimide as fuel! pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10....
I am excited to share our latest publication in JACS: "Chemically Driven Division of Protocells by Membrane Budding" I am grateful to all my amazing coauthors for their incredible teamwork @boekhovenlab.bsky.social Read it: pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/... #protocells #chemistry #originoflife #JACS
We are looking for two #postdocs to join us: 1) @ERC_Research funded position in the context of RNA origami, cryoEM, synthetic cells, directed evolution; 2) A position in the excellence cluster @Cluster3DMM2O at the interface of chemistry & biology. Please share and get in touch!
Last year we met with about 60 scientists for 2 weeks to discuss what it means to synthesize life. Here is the summary of our discussion: https://chemrxiv.org/engage/chemrxiv/article-details/668b9aaf01103d79c55e9fab We hope it represents diverse views and serves as a roadmap towards...
A roadmap towards the synthesis of Life
The synthesis of life from non-living matter has captivat...
chemrxiv.org
Accepted! Soon, in your favorite American chemistry journal🥳!
