A synthetic cell equipped with the abilities to grow, replicate and divide has been created. A mutant with an exceptional ability to absorb nutrients left more offspring, implementing even the process of natural selection. This is the first time a lab-made cell has demonstrated the full life cycle of a cell with only minimal DNA.
A team led by Kate Adamala of the Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development at the University of Minnesota said on the 1st that it developed a cell-like system called "SpudCell" that can carry out a complete cell cycle using the chemical components known so far. The results were posted online before publication in a peer-reviewed journal.
◇Cell cycle completed with only 36 genes
The team arranged 36 genes on seven plasmids, which are circular DNA. The number of DNA base pairs was only 90,000. Human DNA has 3 billion base pairs. After replicating the plasmid DNA many times, the researchers placed it in a culture solution containing all the components a cell needs, including the building blocks of DNA and proteins and liposomes—particles surrounded by fatty acids. Some lipid particles encapsulated all seven circular DNAs, forming synthetic cells.
SpudCell replicated its DNA but relied entirely on the outside for nutrients. The synthetic cell produced a membrane protein called alpha-hemolysin, fused with surrounding liposomes, and absorbed nutrients. The process is similar to how liposomes deliver cosmetic ingredients to the skin. The synthetic cell fed on nutrients and grew.
Another membrane protein, FLAG, bound to a large external molecule called streptavidin. As when placing a heavy stone on a water balloon, which makes the middle dent, repulsive forces arose among molecules on the cell surface and the cell split in two. That was cell division. In this way, the full cycle of cell growth, division and proliferation was completed.
The team considered naming the synthetic cell after Adamala but said they chose SpudCell because the cell looked like a spud. Adamala also said she was pleased that it evoked the name of Sputnik, the first artificial satellite launched into space in 1957. She touted it as a groundbreaking event in life science.
SpudCell also showed mutation and natural selection. The team induced mutations in some SpudCells to produce more membrane proteins that bind to nutrient-carrying liposomes. The mutant SpudCells absorbed nutrients faster and grew more quickly. Although the numbers of original and mutant SpudCells were equal at the start, after five generations, 60% carried the mutant gene. Cells with bigger appetites won the survival competition and were selected.
◇"An event on par with humanity's first flight"
This is not the first time a cell has been synthesized. The method, however, was different. Previously, researchers used a top-down approach, reducing genes in natural cells and leaving only what was essential. Craig Venter, the American life scientist who died in Apr., 2026, released in 2010 the bacterium JCVI-syn1.0 with a genome synthesized in the lab. It was the first artificial life form.
The team deleted the genes of Mycoplasma mycoides, a pathogen that parasitizes the guts of ruminants such as cattle and goats, and injected synthetic genes in their place. This bacterium has the smallest genome known among living things. Venter pared down the synthetic bacterium's genes to the extreme. JCVI-syn3.0, an artificial life form released in Science in 2016, lacked 45% of the original genes. This bacterium has 901 genes, but optimization through genome analysis showed that 473 were sufficient for survival and proliferation.
By contrast, the University of Minnesota team chose a bottom-up approach, assembling cellular components to build a cell. The scientific community called it an original attempt. John Glass, who leads synthetic cell research at the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI), told the New York Times, "We've never mastered a recipe for a cell that performs this many functions," adding, "What's remarkable is that Adamala integrated all of this into one."
On the other hand, some said SpudCell cannot be considered a complete cell because it relies entirely on external nutrients and cannot make its own protein synthesis machinery. DNA synthesizes proteins—the molecules that govern all life processes—by linking amino acids in the order encoded by its base sequence. This process occurs in a cellular organelle called the ribosome, but SpudCell depended on Escherichia coli ribosomes. Some scientists also criticized it as hard to see as a complete cell because mutations and cell division were induced artificially.
However, Drew Endy, a synthetic biologist at Stanford University, said SpudCell is on par with Flyer 1, the aircraft in which the Wright brothers achieved the first powered flight in 1903. Endy said, "Just because the Wright Flyer flew for 12 seconds doesn't mean a Boeing 737 had been built," adding, "Likewise, SpudCell is only the beginning."
◇Safety measures in place to prevent misuse
Adamala is building a scientist community to make SpudCell a more complete life form and apply it to diverse experiments. She and Endy founded a public-interest research organization called Biotic for SpudCell research. They have already secured $10 million in research funding. The team posted the results online so scientists worldwide can freely use their findings.
The team said SpudCell will provide fundamental information about life. For example, it could answer how many genes are minimally required for a cell to sustain life. They could also build synthetic cells optimized to produce useful substances for medicines, break down toxic compounds and capture greenhouse gases.
Some worry SpudCell could be used unethically or even as a weapon. Endy said an open-source scientist community is better for preventing such scenarios. "Instead of waiting for someone else to make the first move and responding late, we can start the discussion right now," he said.
References
Biotic (2026), https://biotic.org/research/spudcell/
Science (2016), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aad6253