Engineering Synthetic Cells through Module Integration and Evolution

Life, the most complex and admirable machine that one could think of has evolved over billions of years to display a beautiful variety of mechanisms that keep cells adapting, self-maintaining, reproducing, and evolving. If we think about it, what is this magic? What are the mechanisms behind life’s origins and wonderful coordination? Attracted...

Biosynthesis of protein filaments for the creation of a minimal cell

Humanity has achieved to decipher the most fundamental mechanics of cellular life. Nevertheless, despite intense efforts there are still considerable gaps in our understanding of cellular processes. Traditionally, biologists investigate life by observation of existing lifeforms. In order to assign functions to biological components, it is common...

An FtsZ-centric approach to divide gene-expressing liposomes

The creation of artificial cells with the minimal set of components to exhibit self-maintenance, self-reproducibility and evolvability (in other words, to be considered alive) is one of the most exciting areas within the field of synthetic biology. Such entities, here called minimal cells, are constructed by either the top-down or bottom-up...