Omar Rifaie Graham @rifaiegrahamlab.bsky.social · 04/08/2026I would like to thank and congratulate the first authors Uthaya Lathan and Beyzanur Kaya and fruitful collaborations with Farzina Matubbar, Mohamed Chami and Jonathan Yeow. 000
Omar Rifaie Graham @rifaiegrahamlab.bsky.social · 04/08/2026These emergent behaviors remind us of the highly refined stimulus discrimination mechanisms achieved in biological cells, for example, in vision processes. 100
Omar Rifaie Graham @rifaiegrahamlab.bsky.social · 04/08/20261 enzyme + 1 membrane + 1 photoswitch = 2 different feedback mechanisms. Importantly, combining these wavelengths allows the internal reaction to progress to levels that one wavelength cannot reach alone. 100
Omar Rifaie Graham @rifaiegrahamlab.bsky.social · 04/08/2026In this work we show that a confined enzymatic reaction can present an accelerated profile (positive feedback loop) or a decelerated one (negative feedback loop) all governed by the transport mechanisms of the membrane when alternating yellow and blue light: 100
Omar Rifaie Graham @rifaiegrahamlab.bsky.social · 04/08/2026The molecules that are transported are enzymatic substrates that are converted ON and OFF by alternating light and darkness cycles. 120
Omar Rifaie Graham @rifaiegrahamlab.bsky.social · 04/08/2026One of our innovations comes from functionalizing their membranes with light-responsive motifs (Donor Acceptor Stenhouse Adducts, DASAs) that facilitate molecular transport across their membranes in presence of light. 100
Omar Rifaie Graham @rifaiegrahamlab.bsky.social · 04/08/2026Polymers can generate self-assembled structures (polymersomes) that imitate bilayer membranes of living cells and can be potentially synthesized in one or low number of steps. We can encapsulate (bio)catalysts that enable a minimal metabolism. 100
Omar Rifaie Graham @rifaiegrahamlab.bsky.social · 04/08/2026After some time in press I am finally sharing with you our group's @qmul.bsky.social latest piece of work. www.nature.com/articles/s41... In the last few years we have been interested in polymers as alternative building blocks to those we consider essential for life (e.g. lipids or nucleic acids).nature.comWavelength-dependent feedback behavior in light-gated polymersome nanoreactors - Nature CommunicationsBiological systems integrate multiple feedback processes to regulate their adaptation to evolving stimuli with high specificity. Here, the authors present polymersomes functionalized with a broad-spec... 121
Omar Rifaie Graham @rifaiegrahamlab.bsky.social · 04/08/2026I would like to thank and congratulate the first authors Uthaya Lathan and Beyzanur Kaya and fruitful collaborations with Farzina Matubbar, Mohamed Chami and Jonathan Yeow. 000
Omar Rifaie Graham @rifaiegrahamlab.bsky.social · 04/08/2026These emergent behaviors remind us of the highly refined stimulus discrimination mechanisms achieved in biological cells, for example, in vision processes. 100
Omar Rifaie Graham @rifaiegrahamlab.bsky.social · 04/08/20261 enzyme + 1 membrane + 1 photoswitch = 2 different feedback mechanisms. Importantly, combining these wavelengths allows the internal reaction to progress to levels that one wavelength cannot reach alone. 100
Omar Rifaie Graham @rifaiegrahamlab.bsky.social · 04/08/2026In this work we show that a confined enzymatic reaction can present an accelerated profile (positive feedback loop) or a decelerated one (negative feedback loop) all governed by the transport mechanisms of the membrane when alternating yellow and blue light: 100
Omar Rifaie Graham @rifaiegrahamlab.bsky.social · 04/08/2026The molecules that are transported are enzymatic substrates that are converted ON and OFF by alternating light and darkness cycles. 100
Omar Rifaie Graham @rifaiegrahamlab.bsky.social · 04/08/2026One of our innovations comes from functionalizing their membranes with light-responsive motifs (Donor Acceptor Stenhouse Adducts, DASAs) that facilitate molecular transport across their membranes in presence of light. 100
Omar Rifaie Graham @rifaiegrahamlab.bsky.social · 04/08/2026Polymers can generate self-assembled structures (polymersomes) that imitate bilayer membranes of living cells and can be potentially synthesized in one or low number of steps. We can encapsulate (bio)catalysts that enable a minimal metabolism. 100
Reposted by Omar Rifaie GrahamClaudia Contini @continiclau.bsky.social · 19/09/2025I am looking for a motivated #Postdoctoral #Researcher to join my group at Imperial @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social @imperiallifesci.bsky.social. The project focuses on #Antimicrobial #Materials & #Biomimetic #Interfaces Please repost! @imperialsci.bsky.social www.imperial.ac.uk/jobs/search-...imperial.ac.ukDescriptionPlease note that job descriptions are not exhaustive, and you may be asked to take on additional duties that align with the key responsibilities ment... 159
Reposted by Omar Rifaie GrahamEuropean Synthetic Cell Initiative @syncelleu.bsky.social · 22/09/2025📢The Contini Lab is hiring! Based at Imperial College, you will join a vibrant, multidisciplinary team developing next-generation nanomaterials and synthetic biology platforms to tackle antimicrobial resistance. Apply before 19 October! #syncell #syntheticcell 013
Omar Rifaie Graham @rifaiegrahamlab.bsky.social · 04/09/2025Enhorabuena! esto es una noticia excelente! Lo curioso es que me estuve entrevistando a la vez que tu, pero con menos suerte. Estoy seguro de que saldran resultados excelentes de tu trabajo. Un saludo! 110
Omar Rifaie Graham @rifaiegrahamlab.bsky.social · 04/09/2025Really happy for you Steve! This is excellent news. Really looking forward to see all your successes! 110
Reposted by Omar Rifaie GrahamJochen Brandt @jochenbrandt.bsky.social · 04/06/2025Are you a chemist with 3-8 years of post-PhD research experience and want to join the amazing Chemistry Dept @qmul.ac.uk ? If yes, please have a look at our call for expressions of interest in the Royal Society University Research Fellowship scheme. #ChemSky www.seresearch.qmul.ac.uk/ccr/news/498...seresearch.qmul.ac.ukExpression of Interest for Royal Society University Research FellowshipsThe Department of Chemistry at Queen Mary University of London is looking to support applicants for the Royal Society University Research Fellowship (URF). The URF is a prestigious fellowship program... 024
Reposted by Omar Rifaie GrahamCharlie McTernan @charliemcternan.bsky.social · 25/03/2025Delighted to see our first collaboration with @kilbinger-group.bsky.social on foldamer water channels with high salt exclusion online at @angewandtechemie.bsky.social tinyurl.com/ez352x99 0143
Omar Rifaie Graham @rifaiegrahamlab.bsky.social · 22/03/2025Some of our representative work: 🔬 Nature Chem – Synthetic cells for polymerization (nature.com/articles/s41...) 🧪 Nat Comms – Polymer-based artificial systems (nature.com/articles/s41...)nature.comPhotoswitchable gating of non-equilibrium enzymatic feedback in chemically communicating polymersome nanoreactors - Nature ChemistryThe circadian rhythm generates out-of-equilibrium metabolite oscillations controlled by feedback loops under light/dark cycles. Now, it has been shown that these life-like properties can emerge from a... 010
Reposted by Omar Rifaie GrahamDavid Peeler @djpeeler.bsky.social · 02/03/2025Our article "Nanoscale Biodegradable Printing for Designed Tuneability of Vaccine Delivery Kinetics" is open-access at Advanced Materials! advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/... Major shout to my co-first author Rujie Sun and all our wonderful collaborators who helped realize this dream!advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.comNanoscale Biodegradable Printing for Designed Tuneability of Vaccine Delivery KineticsSpatiotemporal Controlled Release Inks of Biocompatible polyEsters (SCRIBE) is a novel 2PP resin family with sub-micron resolution and tuneable hydrolysis. SCRIBE enables direct printing of hollow mi... 194
Reposted by Omar Rifaie GrahamStephen Fielden @stephenfielden.bsky.social · 24/02/2025Happy to have been awarded a 2025 Thieme Chemistry Journals Award. Looking forward to doing more (weird) organic chemistry research with my group! @uobchemistry.bsky.social www.thieme.de/en/thieme-ch...thieme.de2025 Awardees - Thieme Chemistry - Georg Thieme VerlagThe Thieme Chemistry Journals Award is presented every year to up-and-coming researchers worldwide who are in the early stages of their independent academic career as assistant or junior professors. 0162
Omar Rifaie Graham @rifaiegrahamlab.bsky.social · 13/02/2025royalsociety.org/grants/newton-international/ nature.com/articles/s41... nature.com/articles/s41... Sharing the post would be appreciated, thank you!royalsociety.orgNewton International Fellowships | Royal SocietyThis fellowship is for non-UK scientists who are at an early stage of their research career and wish to conduct research in the UK. 010
Omar Rifaie Graham @rifaiegrahamlab.bsky.social · 13/02/2025Please get in touch if you would like to conduct a Royal Society Newton Fellowship in my group at Queen Mary University of London. The topic would be either on polymer-based Synthetic Cells or polymerization reactions for disease diagnostics. Details of the scheme and relevant papers below: 100
Omar Rifaie Graham @rifaiegrahamlab.bsky.social · 13/01/2025Upscaling helicene synthesys. Excellent work coming from @jochenbrandt.bsky.social and co-workers in our department @qmul.ac.uk 010
Omar Rifaie Graham @rifaiegrahamlab.bsky.social · 14/12/2024Hey Monica, I hope you’re well! Would you mind adding me? 110
Reposted by Omar Rifaie GrahamClaudia Contini @continiclau.bsky.social · 09/12/2024Are you looking for a #PhD and you are interested in synthetic cells? Have a look at the 17 #PhDpositions below! 👇👇👇 055