The EU-FP6 integrated project PACE (Programmable Artifiical Cell Evolution) explored the utilization of the simplest technically feasible elementary living units (artificial cells much simpler than current cells) to build evolvable complex information systems. BioMIP was one of 13 partners and 2 cooperating groups from 8 European countries involved in this pioneering initiative in the Future Emerging Technologies program. EU page for PACE.
Our research group BioMIP contributed to both theoretical and experimental development in PACE. We collaborated closely with chemists to support novel chemical replication and vesicle assembly mechanisms with electronic microfluidic systems. We also investigated the evolutionary potential of artificial cells and soft complex fluids such as amphiphile systems for IT technology. We developed the omega machine as a novel integration of chemistry with microfluidics and computer technology. The final report of PACE is available here.