Morphogenic colloids.

Abstract

Morphogenesis is a dynamic process central to life, in which structure and compartmentalization arise to produce functional architectures. Replicating such transformations synthetically remains challenging because they emerge from tightly coupled physicochemical processes. Here, we report a minimal platform in which emulsion droplets exposed to amphiphilic triblock copolymers (BCPs) reproduce key features of biological morphogenesis through reversible shape morphing and topology transitions. Droplets undergo topological remodeling that leads to spontaneous and nonselective internalization of the surrounding aqueous phase, including suspended colloidal matter. In equilibrium, interfacial self-assembly of BCPs combined with droplet swelling stabilizes a spectrum of non-spherical morphologies that can be reversibly tuned by BCP concentration or temperature. These transitions can be induced synchronously across large populations of monodisperse droplets and permanently fixed via photopolymerization. This compositionally simple platform provides a tractable model for investigating the physical principles of morphogenesis while advancing colloidal systems toward biologically relevant complexity and life-like adaptability.