Nature has long mastered the art of performing complex chemical transformations within confined, compartmentalised spaces. Inspired by this principle, this seminar presents a research journey spanning two complementary frontiers in hybrid materials engineering: from the use of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) as programmable functional coatings on living yeast cells,1 to the design of liposome-based nanoreactors as precision platforms for the controlled assembly of luminescent metal–organic nanosystems.2,3
In the first part, we will explore how MOF coatings—specifically ZIF-8 and ZIF-C—can be engineered as adaptive multilayer exoskeletons on yeast cells, enhancing their viability in hostile environments through the heterogeneous nucleation of MOFs on the cell surface and the controlled release of bioactive molecules.1
In the second part, we move from rigid crystalline coatings to dynamic lipid nanoreactors, demonstrating how liposomes serve as attolitre-scale confined spaces for transport-controlled coordination chemistry. A synthetic anion transporter embedded in the lipid bilayer gates the entry of an organic ligand into liposomes pre-loaded with lanthanide ions (Tb3+, Eu3+), driving the in situ formation of luminescent metal-organic complexes, leading to colloidal systems with finely tunable photoluminescent properties across the entire RGB spectrum.2,3
Taken together, these studies demonstrate how vesicular systems can be exploited either to control the heterogeneous nucleation of MOFs on cell walls, leading to the formation of artificial spores, or to confine coordination reactions within lipid vesicles. This approach opens new opportunities for the design of advanced materials integrated into biological systems, with direct applications in biosensing, bioimaging, controlled drug delivery, and adaptive nanotechnology.

Referencias:
1 L. Gan, M. de J. Velásquez-Hernández, A. Emmerstorfer-Augustin, P. Wied, H. Wolinski, S. D. Zilio, M. Solomon, W. Liang, C. Doonan and P. Falcaro, Chem. Commun., 2022, 58, 10004–10007.
2 A. Torres?Huerta, M. D. J. Velásquez?Hernández, E. Tamarit?Amoros, M. Raschetti, D. Pinkas, O. Jur?ek, J. Pérez and H. Valkenier, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2025, 64, e202510471.
3 A. Torres-Huerta, M. De J. Velásquez-Hernández, S. Lempereur, L. Troian-Gautier, G. Veronesi and H. Valkenier, Cell. Rep. Phys. Sci., 2026, 7, 103312.