This Special Issue will highlight research on the construction, characterization, and optimization of cell-free molecular systems. Submit your manuscript by February 28, 2026.
At the intersection of biotechnology with chemistry, physics, and engineering, researchers are pushing forward our understanding of cellular machinery, with a view to building systems that surpass the capabilities of natural cells or possess novel functions.
In collaboration with the “Bottom-up creation of cell-free molecular systems” project (Bottom-up Biotech project), part of the Grant-in-Aid for Transformative Research Areas (A) in the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan (MEXT), ACS Synthetic Biology is excited to announce this upcoming Special Issue focused on the construction, characterization, and optimization of cell-free molecular systems.
This Special Issue aims to showcase advances in the design and construction of cell-free systems, systems free from living cells, and explore novel methodologies for integrating biomolecules, synthetic chemicals, polymers, and nano/micro-scale devices. ACS Synthetic Biology welcomes contributions that not only report on the outcomes of the Bottom-up Biotech project, but also on work focused on the exciting area of research of cell-free systems.
Topic Include, but are not limited to:
- Cell-free protein synthesis
- Molecular robots
- Bottom-up biology
- Synthetic cell research using liposomes, polymersome, or other compartments
- Nanopore development and application
- Cell-free molecular engineering
- Cell-free gene circuits
- Cell-free control of molecular interactions
- Cell-free control of molecular system behavior
- Integration of micro- and nano-scale devices into cell-free systems
- Cell-free biohybrid systems
- Systematic construction and evolution of cell-free molecular systems
Organizing Editors
Prof. Tomoaki Matsuura, Guest Editor
Institute of Science Tokyo, Japan
Prof. Ryuji Kawano, Guest Editor
Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Japan
Submission Information
We welcome submissions for this Special Issue through February 28, 2026. For more information on submission requirements, please visit the journal’s Author Guidelines page.
Research Articles, Letters, Reviews, Perspectives, and Technical Notes will be considered for publication in this Special Issue. Manuscripts accepted for publication for this Special Issue will be available ASAP (as soon as publishable) online as soon as they are accepted. After all submissions have been published, they will then be compiled online on a dedicated landing page to form the Special Issue. Manuscripts submitted for consideration will undergo the full rigorous peer review process expected from ACS journals.
Authors are encouraged to adhere to FAIR Data Principles when submitting research.
Open Access: There are diverse open access options for publications in ACS Publications journals. Please visit our Open Science Resource Center for more information.
How to Submit
- Log in to the ACS Publishing Center.
- Select the "Journals" tab.
- Choose ACS Synthetic Biology.
- Click "Submit."
- Select your manuscript type, and, under "Special Issue Selection," choose "Cell-Free Systems."
If you have any general questions regarding submission to this Special Issue, please contact managing.editor@synthbiol.acs.org.
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