An international research team unveiled an artificial cell system that implements a cell cycle in which the cell absorbs nutrients, grows, replicates its genes, and divides. However, the study has not yet undergone peer review, and further verification and technical refinements appear necessary before practical use.
Researchers at the University of Minnesota released their findings on the artificial cell system "Spudcell" on the 1st (local time).
Spudcell consists of a lipid membrane surrounding genetic information totaling 90,000 base pairs, divided among 36 purified enzymes and seven deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) plasmids. Unlike approaches that strip unnecessary genes from existing living cells to leave only minimal functions, the team chose to assemble nonliving chemical components from the ground up.
The team said Spudcell showed processes in which it grew autonomously, replicated its genes, and divided across generations. They also noted they observed processes corresponding to competition and natural selection. The researchers see significance in the fact that this is not a downsized version of an existing organism but a case where the full cell cycle operated in a system assembled from scratch.
In the long term, Spudcell could be applied in diverse fields, including pharmaceuticals, new materials, food, and carbon removal technologies. The team believes that if artificial cells are designed for specific purposes, they can serve as micro biofactories that produce needed substances.
Kate Adamala, the project lead and a professor at the University of Minnesota, told the Financial Times, "We need to manufacture materials in ways that put less strain on the Earth," adding, "It is important to use atoms in a more sustainable and distributed way."
Still, Spudcell remains at an early research stage. The team said they need to reduce reliance on external nutrient sources, make the propagation mechanism more precise, and secure the ability to build a protein synthesis apparatus autonomously.
The related patent is currently held by the University of Minnesota, and Biotic is reported to have received an exclusive license. Biotic, launched by Adamala and external partners of the university, is a public-interest research and engineering organization aiming to build an open, common technology foundation for synthetic cell engineering. The team's policy is to establish an open-source research base to prevent specific corporations from monopolizing the technology and to enable researchers worldwide to access it.