Dev Tools · 1h ago
Scientists Build First Synthetic Cell With Complete Life Cycle From Scratch
University of Minnesota researchers created SpudCell, a synthetic cell with a 90-kilobase genome that grows, feeds, copies genetic material, and divides. Unlike modified organisms, it's built entirely from non-living chemical components. The achievement proves life's core functions can be replicated without biological origins.
Meridian48 take
This is a landmark in synthetic biology, but practical applications remain distant; the real breakthrough is proving that life's machinery can be engineered like software.
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