In Vitro

In vitro is the common term for the process of in vitro compartmentalization, an emulsion-based technology that generates cell-like compartments, which are designed to contain no more than one gene. The gene is transcribed and/or translated, and its products (typically ribonucleic acid and other proteins) end up being trapped with the encoding gene within the compartment. Typically, the genotype (DNA) and the phenotype (RNA and/or protein) are coupled and this compartmentalization process allows for the selection and evolution of phenotype. The process of in vitro compartmentalization takes place in a test tube, a culture dish, or anywhere else outside the body of a living organism. The most popular application for this process is in vitro fertilization, where the meeting of the sperm and the egg cells takes place outside its natural environment, which is a woman’s womb. In vitro is a Latin phrase which literally translates into “in glass.” This process is the direct opposite of in vivo, which is a process that takes place inside the body of a living organism. Tawfik, et al. developed in vitro compartmentalization, which was based on the idea that “Darwinian evolution relies on the linkage of genotype to phenotype.” With this idea in mind, the developers of the process designed microscopic aqueous compartments of water-in-oil to simulate cellular compartments that connect genotypes and phenotypes. Emulsions of cell-like compartments were then formed by adding in vitro transcription and translation reaction mixture to stirred mineral oil, which contains surfactants. Compared to the other methods and technologies using the in vitro process, the in vitro compartmentalization has the ability to control the reactions within the droplets and the pH of each of these droplets can be changed. Photocaged substrates, through in vitro compartmentalization, can also be used and their participation in a reaction can be regulated by photo-activation. This category contains scientific information on vitro, which is a “within the glass” cells experimentation procedure performed by scientists.