ISLAMABAD: Scientists have moved a step closer to creating artificial life after successfully building a synthetic cell from non-living chemical components that can feed, grow, replicate its DNA, and divide like a natural cell, a breakthrough being hailed as a landmark achievement in synthetic biology.
Developed by a team led by synthetic biologist Dr. Kate Adamala at the University of Minnesota, the laboratory-created cell, called SpudCell, is the first entirely synthetic system to complete the basic cycle of cellular life without being derived from an existing living organism.
However, researchers stress that SpudCell is not yet considered a living cell because it still depends on externally supplied nutrients and biological machinery to survive.
Dr. Kate Adamala said the creation is a limited and fragile prototype, but it could help researchers better understand the origins of life and could potentially be programmed to help mitigate some of the world's biggest biological problems. The cell is nonspecific, neither plant nor animal, but most closely resembles a simple bacterium.
Dr. Adamala said, "I know the full ingredient list of the cell, I know exactly what chemicals, what molecules at what concentrations."
"It is fully defined, which means we can engineer it," she added.
Scientists say the achievement could transform research into the origins of life while opening new possibilities for producing medicines, biofuels, advanced materials and environmentally friendly chemicals through engineered biological systems. Because every chemical component of SpudCell is known, researchers believe it can be redesigned for specific industrial and medical applications.
The research has not yet undergone peer review, and experts caution that more work is needed before synthetic cells become self-sustaining. Nevertheless, independent scientists have described the development as one of the most significant advances in synthetic biology in recent years, bringing researchers closer to understanding the minimum requirements for life itself.
