Researchers at the University of Minnesota have created synthetic cells capable of feeding, growing, and dividing, a breakthrough that Associate Professor Kate Adamala states proves the eventual possibility of building fully living, lab-made cells.
These synthetic cells, named "SpudCells," are constructed from nonliving chemical components and isolated biological parts such as DNA, membranes, and ribosomes. Unlike previous synthetic cells that required external additions to grow, SpudCells can grow and replicate based on internal instructions from proteins within the cell. This development marks a pivotal moment in synthetic biology, moving beyond simply assembling cell-like structures to creating entities that exhibit core functions of life.
Adamala's lab aims to program such cells to produce medicines, materials, and fuels, offering a more sustainable and self-reliant alternative to petrochemicals. "Why can't I take that prairie grass and ferment it into a plastic toy?" Adamala posed, highlighting the potential to utilize readily available resources for manufacturing. She believes that while natural biological cells are highly precise in manipulating atoms and generating less waste, they are too complex and difficult to control.
"I don't believe that we'll ever be able to understand a complex living cell," Adamala explained. "So my approach is I think we can build ourselves a cell."
While SpudCells demonstrate key life functions, Adamala emphasizes they are not yet considered alive. Their survival is highly dependent on perfect environmental conditions, lacking the robustness of natural organisms. The definition of life itself remains a complex challenge, with no universally accepted scientific definition. NASA's working definition, "a self-replicating chemical system that's capable of Darwinian evolution," is noted by Adamala as insufficient even for humans.
The name "SpudCells" is a nod to Sputnik, the first artificial satellite. Similar to how Sputnik demonstrated the possibility of space travel and opened the Space Age, SpudCells are intended as a proof of concept. They show that chemicals can be assembled into a cellular structure that grows, divides, and can undergo selection, thereby opening a new era of synthetic biology.
The feeding mechanism of SpudCells is comparable to simple bacteria, where the cell engulfs larger edible components. This process is likened to two soap bubbles merging, with the smaller bubble bringing in the food. However, the division process is distinct from natural cell division. SpudCells' division is genetically encoded, driven by the proteins produced under the direction of the cell's genome, causing division when sufficient proteins accumulate on the membrane.