The BoekhovenLab is best known for the development of Chemically Fueled Self-Assembly.
Inspired by molecular self-assembly in biology, we wondered, can we synthesize molecular assemblies as complex, intricate, and beautiful as biology? Can we, ultimately, synthesize life from scratch?
To do so, we introduced the notion of regulating molecular self-assembly with chemical energy, just like biology does with fuels like ATP. We introduced the immensely popular carbodiimide-fueled reaction cycle that is now widely used by scientists around the globe (see a database here). We discovered completely new molecular architectures that can only exist when consuming chemical fuel. We developed new ways of making compartments competing for energy, just like life does. We also found materials with completely unique properties.
Read more here:
Chemically fueled self-assembly (molecular self-assembly 2.0)