  Engineering simple, artificial models of living cells allows synthetic
biologists to study cellular functions under well-controlled conditions.
Reconstituting multicellular behaviors with synthetic cell-mimics is still a
challenge because it requires efficient communication between individual
compartments in large populations. This protocol presents a microfluidic method
to produce large quantities of cell-mimics with highly porous, stable and
chemically modifiable polymer membranes that can be programmed on demand with
nucleus-like DNA-hydrogel compartments for gene expression. We describe
expression of genes encoded in the hydrogel compartment and communication
between neighboring cell-mimics through diffusive protein signals.
