Dataset_Small_Zhai

<p dir="ltr">Notably, the publication of our associated manuscript has been postponed until we can secure a DOI for this experimental data, a necessary step to enable its submission and peer review.</p><p dir="ltr">A key characteristic of living cells is their ability to self-replicate; however, creating artificial cells with this capability remains challenging due to the complexity of biological division machinery. Instead of attempting to reconstitute this machinery, we employed digital microfluidics (DMF) technology to directly control DNA replication and compartment division.<br><br>Methodologically, we utilized a custom-built DMF platform integrated with a temperature control system. DNA replication was initiated using recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) method, while compartment division was achieved via electrowetting-induced droplet splitting. The techniques employed included: Nanodrop for measuring the UV spectra of dyes, fluorometry for tracking the intensities of fluorescein and fluorescently labeled amplified probes, and real-time RPA for quantifying DNA replication.<br><br>The dataset table contains multiple sheets, where different sheets correspond to raw data from various figures in both the main text and Supporting Information (SI) of the associated paper. These raw data document original observations from key experimental stages—such as continuous proliferation of fluorescent droplets, DNA amplification kinetics, and 20 cycles of artificial cell cycles—providing direct evidence for validating and reproducing the research conclusions.</p><p dir="ltr"><br></p><p dir="ltr">Additionally, Movie S1 shows cyclic droplet replication from Cycle 0 to Cycle 8 on the OpenDrop platform. The initial cycle (Cycle 0) begins with a methylene blue droplet (1 mM, ultra-pure water, 1\% v/v silicone oil AR5). In each cycle, a tartrazine droplet (1 mM, ultra-pure water, 1\% v/v silicone oil AR5) is added to dilute the droplet from the previous cycle. Droplets mix in a 2×2 electrode array and are then divided along a predefined electrode path to achieve consistent serial dilution over 8 rounds. <br><br>All experiments involving biological materials were conducted in compliance with ethical guidelines approved by King’s College London.<br><br>This approach enables us to precisely coordinate these two fundamental processes, offering insights into how they must be coupled to achieve successful self-replication. Our system realizes controlled cycles of replication and division, with daughter compartments inheriting parental DNA and maintaining genetic continuity across multiple generations—a key feature of living systems that has long been difficult to replicate in artificial cells.</p>