Scientists have developed a synthetic cell, dubbed SpudCell, built entirely from artificial chemicals in a laboratory setting. This breakthrough marks the first time a cell has been constructed from the ground up, capable of performing fundamental life processes such as feeding, growth, DNA replication, and division.
The SpudCell is approximately 50 times smaller than a typical bacterium. It consists of microscopic water droplets enclosed within a fatty membrane, filled with enzymes, chemicals, and short DNA sequences. These components enable the synthetic cell to carry out essential life-like functions. Lead author Professor Kate Adamala from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities stated that her team has replicated biological cell behaviors using chemistry, demonstrating that core functions like growth and replication do not require a biological origin.
Unlike previous attempts that modified existing cells, SpudCell is entirely artificial. Its genetic material, comprising about 90,000 DNA base pairs, is significantly smaller than the previously theorized minimum for a living cell, which was around 113,000 base pairs. This simplified genetic code allows SpudCell to perform basic life functions.
The synthetic cells feed by merging with small liposomes containing necessary nutrients. Their DNA contains instructions for synthesizing proteins that facilitate the creation of genetic code replicas, preparing them for reproduction. Division is achieved through a process where a protein floods the membrane, creating a repulsive force that splits the cell. Scientists observed a form of natural selection in an experiment where mutated SpudCells, engineered to gather food more efficiently, outcompeted their counterparts after five generations, with the mutation appearing in 60% of the genomes.
Despite these capabilities, Professor Adamala cautioned that SpudCells are not considered alive. The observed selection process cannot be classified as evolution because the mutation was externally introduced, not naturally occurring. Furthermore, the cell division process is not entirely natural; researchers had to physically force the cells through small membrane holes for multiple division cycles. This crude division method results in uneven splitting, leading to some offspring cells not receiving a complete genome. After five division cycles, only 30% of the cells retained the full genome.
Professor John Dupré, a philosopher and founder of the Centre for the Study of Life Sciences at the University of Exeter, commented that while the technical achievement is impressive, its ultimate application in biotechnology is debatable. He suggested that modifying existing cells might be a more effective approach than creating entirely synthetic ones.
Concerns have also been raised regarding the publication of the research. The findings were released as a pre-print paper, reportedly after being rejected by the journal Cell. Professor Kerstin Göpfrich, a molecular biologist from Heidelberg University, advised that reporting scientific findings before peer review can be problematic and that a higher ethical standard would involve waiting for the standard review process.
To further develop this research, Professor Adamala and her colleagues have established a public-benefit research institution named Biotic. Scientists hope that such synthetic cells could eventually serve as miniature biological factories for producing medicines and other chemical compounds.