Biologists Build Synthetic Cell that Can Feed, Grow, Divide and Evolve
Biologists at the University of Minnesota have created 'SpudCell,' a synthetic cell capable of feeding, growing, dividing, and evolving. The cell is constructed from non-living chemical components and features a minimal 90,000-base-pair genome.
Why it matters
This breakthrough in synthetic biology provides new insights into the fundamental requirements for life and could lead to advancements in biological engineering.
Biologists at the University of Minnesota say they have built a synthetic cell — made entirely from non-living chemical components — that can complete a full life cycle: taking in nutrients, growing, copying its genetic material, dividing into daughter cells and passing along beneficial mutations to the next generation. Called SpudCell , their project marks a major breakthrough in biological engineering.
The report is a straightforward summary of a scientific achievement.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in