A Chemically Defined Synthetic Cell Capable of Growth and Replication

Researchers report a chemically defined synthetic cell that completes a full cell cycle including genome replication, growth, nutrient uptake through feeding, and genetically encoded division. The system is built around a 90 kb synthetic genome that encodes functions for resource acquisition, transcription, translation, growth, genome replication, and division, and it undergoes selection while propagating. Experiments demonstrate that the synthetic genome supports sustained replication and cell growth under controlled feeding, producing a self-propagating unit that exhibits the core life-essential processes in a wholly designed, defined context.

The work argues that this synthetic cell is sufficiently robust to routinize synthetic cell engineering workflows and to serve as a platform for diverse biotechnology applications. Key specifics include the genome size (≈90 kb), the inclusion of both information-processing (transcription/translation/replication) and physical processes (resource uptake, growth, genetically encoded division), and the demonstration of an entire replicative cycle under selection. A provisional patent has been filed and funding came from multiple foundations and agencies, positioning the system for follow-up development and broader use across applied and basic research.