Can synthetic cells save the world?
Associate professor Kate Adamala has been busy. Her lab at the University of Minnesota takes chemicals and dead, isolated biological parts — like DNA, membranes, ribosomes — and puts them together into “synthetic” cells to see if they will come to life…or at least act alive. This summer, Adamala’s lab had a tremendous breakthrough. They […]
Associate professor Kate Adamala and her team at the University of Minnesota have made a breakthrough in synthetic cell biology. They have created "SpudCells," synthetic cells made from nonliving chemical components that can feed, grow, and divide using their own instructions. Adamala named these cells SpudCells, inspired by Sputnik, the first artificial satellite, to signify the proof of concept that chemicals can be assembled into a living cell.
Unlike natural cells, SpudCells require constant feeding with all necessary building blocks, and their growth and division are not robust enough to survive varying conditions. The term "alive" remains a complex and context-dependent concept, as there is no universally accepted scientific definition. Adamala hopes that SpudCells will demonstrate that it's possible to construct a living cell from chemical components, paving the way for a future where synthetic cells can produce medicine, materials, and fuel, reducing our reliance on petrochemicals.
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