‘Beautiful blobs’: synthetic life a step closer as scientists make cells using lab-made DNA

Researchers claim they are closer to creating life from scratch after building tiny, quivering blobs that use lab-made DNA to feed, grow and multiply in a dish. The synthetic cells were made from chemical compounds and are believed to be the first to demonstrate the complete cell cycle of growth, genetic replication and splitting to produce the next generation. The work raises the prospect of artificial organisms that are designed and built to churn out drugs, foods, fuels and other materials. But it may also shed light on the profound question of how particular assemblies of inanimate matter cross a threshold to become life. Dr Kate Adamala, who led the research at the University of Minnesota, said: “It is not as robust, as fast, or as good at most of its functions as a natural cell, but it is proof of principle that molecules can reconstitute behaviours that up until now we only associated with natural living cells. If we want to be able to engineer biology, we really have to understand exactly the blueprint, every component of it, so we know what we’re changing.” Scientists have tried to make synthetic life for decades. In 2010, Craig Venter, the late genetics pioneer, built an organism based on a bacterium that causes mastitis in goats. Others have achieved similar feats . Instead of modifying natural cells, Adamala’s team built SpudCells from the bottom up to ensure that every component was known and understood. …