Researchers at the University of Minnesota claim to have engineered the world’s first synthetic cell, which was built entirely from scratch and has completed a full ‘life’ cycle, including reproduction.
“This is the most fascinating and important thing I’ve ever done in my work, and the realization that it’s actually happening was rather slow to sink in,” said synthetic biologist Kate Adamala, a co-lead on the project, to ScienceAlert.
“We’ve replicated in chemistry what only used to be possible in biology: the complete set of behaviors of a cell. It proves that the most fundamental functions of life, like growth and replication, do not need a mysterious magical spark,” she says.
The project, named SpudCell, features a genome consisting of just 90 kilobase pairs (kbp). In comparison, the human genome comprises about 3 million kbp, and scientists previously believed that a minimum of 113 kbp of genetic data was necessary for a cell to function.
Adamala and her colleagues suggest that SpudCell challenges these assumptions, although their findings have not yet been formally published or peer-reviewed.
The research has been shared on the website of Biotic, a nonprofit bioengineering institution founded with Adamala’s assistance.
Adamala expressed her initial reaction to the results as one of shock. “I was very happy, relieved, and a bit suspicious because I’m always double- and triple-checking results,” she told ScienceAlert. “By the time all the controls and their controls and additional controls were done, it wasn’t a surprise anymore.”
According to Science magazine, SpudCell has faced challenges in publication, with one reviewer at the journal Cell reportedly dismissing it as not real biology.
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Part of the skepticism may be due to SpudCell’s inability to replicate over multiple generations, which means it cannot evolve. “I think biologists might not appreciate the significance of the chemical engineering simplicity of minimal cell,” Adamala explained to ScienceAlert. “SpudCell doesn’t look like much if you’re grading it on the scale of natural biological systems: it’s a very slow growth and replication cycle, and high-demand metabolism.”
Each SpudCell is made up of a liposome—a fat sphere that simulates the outer membrane of a real cell—enclosing seven plasmids, which are small DNA units often found in bacteria and differ from typical chromosomes. Together, these plasmids form the SpudCell genome, totaling 90 kbp.
The cell is also equipped with a ‘protein expression system’ that converts the genetic instructions of the DNA into actions, enabling the cell to transform absorbed nutrients into useful materials and facilitate cell division.
According to the researchers, the SpudCell system can perform “selection, genome replication, growth, resource acquisition via feeding, and genetically encoded division.”
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One might wonder why scientists are keen on creating artificial cells from scratch. Beyond exploring the fundamental concept of life, future synthetic cells could be designed to function as miniature biological factories, producing organic materials like drugs, biomaterials, and chemicals.
Currently, genetically modified bacteria and other microbes are used in labs for similar purposes, akin to the production of medical-grade insulin. A fully synthetic cell could potentially offer efficiencies and specificities beyond existing biotechnologies, although it might also fall short of nature’s own designs.
Currently, SpudCells have a limited lifespan of only a few generations. They lack the ability to produce their own protein expression system and cannot regulate their metabolism, relying entirely on the liquid medium’s contents. Additionally, these cells do not possess a cytoskeleton, an internal structure that natural cells have, which simplifies their design but restricts material transport and waste clearance.
This development, however, serves as a proof of concept that can inspire further research. The scientific community will be watching closely as this area of study progresses.
Related: Scientists Have Just Created The Most Synthetic Life Form Ever
“Our goal is to have full operational ability to engineer biology,” Adamala told ScienceAlert. “To do that, we need to know where every building block goes, we need a full blueprint. That is what SpudCell gives, and no other currently known cell. We have complete schematics of it, so we can engineer on that chassis.”
“I hope others will expand on this chassis to add more robust division (somebody put in a cytoskeleton please!), and add more robust metabolic pathways,” she added. “Then I’ll take a year long vacation or something else crazy to celebrate.”
The research has not yet been peer-reviewed, but a preprint is available on Biotic’s website.
This article was fact-checked by Rebecca Dyer and edited by Clare Watson. While we pride ourselves on our process, we are only human. If you spot a mistake, please let us know.
