@ARTICLE{10.3389/fbioe.2019.00001, AUTHOR={Rampioni, Giordano and D'Angelo, Francesca and Leoni, Livia and Stano, Pasquale}, TITLE={Gene-Expressing Liposomes as Synthetic Cells for Molecular Communication Studies}, JOURNAL={Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology}, VOLUME={7}, YEAR={2019}, URL={https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fbioe.2019.00001}, DOI={10.3389/fbioe.2019.00001}, ISSN={2296-4185}, ABSTRACT={The bottom-up branch of synthetic biology includes—among others—innovative studies that combine cell-free protein synthesis with liposome technology to generate cell-like systems of minimal complexity, often referred to as synthetic cells. The functions of this type of synthetic cell derive from gene expression, hence they can be programmed in a modular, progressive and customizable manner by means of ad hoc designed genetic circuits. This experimental scenario is rapidly expanding and synthetic cell research already counts numerous successes. Here, we present a review focused on the exchange of chemical signals between liposome-based synthetic cells (operating by gene expression) and biological cells, as well as between two populations of synthetic cells. The review includes a short presentation of the “molecular communication technologies,” briefly discussing their promises and challenges.} }