Biologists have, for the first time, combined dozens of lifeless chemicals to create a synthetic cell that eats, grows, reproduces, and even competes for food like naturally occurring cells, a team from University of Minnesota revealed yesterday.
The breakthrough builds on decades of research into the minimum genetic material necessary to sustain life, which could pave the way for advances in medicine and other fields but also raises concerns for synthetic biology skeptics. While earlier efforts focused on stripping down existing natural cells, this is the first cell assembled piece by piece from 150 to 200 simple molecules. Named for its potato-like appearance, SpudCell has just 36 genes, including some taken from a virus and E. coli. By comparison, earlier experiments required nearly 500 genes and humans have roughly 20,000 (scroll for visualization).
Hundreds of scientists are expected to join a new nonprofit dedicated to advancing SpudCell, which cannot consistently pass its complete genetic material to future generations or produce its own proteins.
