Scientists at the University of Minnesota have made history by creating the first artificial cell with a complete life cycle. SpudCell is made entirely from known chemical components and is capable of growing, replicating its genome, dividing into new generations of cells, and more.
Scientists at the University of Minnesota have made history by creating the first artificial cell with a complete life cycle. SpudCell is made entirely from known chemical components and is capable of growing, replicating its genome, dividing into new generations of cells, and more.
However, this does not mean that SpudCell cells are alive, and the authors of the project do not claim to be creators. As the scientists themselves note, they have given a new understanding of the minimum criteria for what is actually needed for the existence of life. In addition, they have created a so-called “chassis”, which in the future can be adapted for anything: from the development of new drugs to the direct creation of artificial organisms, writes The Register.
“SpudCell is not a ‘ready-made’ cell, it is much simpler than anything created by nature,” said Kate Adamala, a biochemist, professor at the University of Minnesota and project leader. “SpudCell is proof of what is possible. It proves that non-living, well-defined molecules can be combined into a cell capable of performing functions previously thought to be the exclusive prerogative of natural life.”
The artificial cell SpudCell has helped scientists understand the minimum requirements for life to exist. It turned out that for a complete life cycle, it needs a genome of only 90 kilobases (thousands of base pairs), which is much smaller than previously thought (for comparison: in humans it is about 3 million).
In addition, SpudCell has learned to divide without a complex internal "skeleton" (cytoskeleton), which previously hampered such research. It divides due to the mechanical pressure of proteins accumulated on its membrane. The cell is even able to evolve: variants with altered genes grew faster and completely replaced the original version in five generations.
SpudCell is still very primitive and cannot make its own ribosomes, so scientists have to constantly “feed” it with the necessary molecules. Because of this dependence, it simply cannot survive outside the laboratory, so there is no threat to the outside world.
Today, medicines, materials and chemicals are produced either by complex modification of living cells or in dirty and energy-intensive factories. The SpudCell artificial cell is completely understandable and controllable for scientists (unlike natural cells, which are still a mystery). Thanks to this, it is possible to create biorobot cells from scratch, capable of performing unique chemical transformations that are beyond the power of conventional industry. This will allow for the environmentally friendly and efficient production of new medicines and materials.
Project leader Kate Adamala is taking the work beyond the university and creating a public organization called Biotic. The goal is to make the research open to the whole world so that scientists don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time, and the creation of artificial life becomes an understandable engineering discipline, accessible not only to private corporations.
In addition, the scientists' immediate plans include teaching the cell to independently create ribosomes, i.e. to provide itself with protein, improve its metabolism, and make its division process more stable. This will turn it into a reliable base for practical use.
