Synthetic cells, created by merging elements of Mycoplasma bacteria with a chemically synthesized genome, can grow and divide into uniformly shaped and sized cells—much like natural bacteria.
Craig Venter’s Team Creates Synthetic Minimal Cells with 473 Essential Genes
In 2016, a team led by Craig Venter at the J. Craig Venter Institute in San Diego unveiled synthetic “minimal” cells, each containing only 473 essential genes believed to support basic life functions.
Named JCVI-syn3.0 after the institute, the cells were capable of growing and dividing on agar, forming clusters known as colonies.
However, when Venter and his team took a closer look at the dividing cells, they found that the cells weren’t splitting evenly to produce identical daughter cells, as natural bacteria typically do. Instead, the divisions resulted in oddly shaped and sized offspring.
“They had removed all genome parts they believed weren’t essential for growth,” says Elizabeth Strychalski of the US National Institute of Standards and Technology. But their idea of “essential” turned out to mean what was needed to grow visible colonies on an agar plate—not what was required for realistic, uniform cell division.
Discovery of Five Unexpected Genes Essential for Cell Division by Strychalski’s Team
Strychalski and her team discovered that, while two of the seven genes were already known to play a role in cell division, the other five had no previously identified function. “It was surprising,” she says.
“These five genes fell outside what we previously understood,” adds study co-author James Pelletier of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
He notes, “The minimal cell contains many genes with unknown functions that are still essential for survival—making them a fascinating focus for future research.”
“This research is hugely valuable for understanding how life functions and which genes are essential for reliably running cells,” says Drew Endy of Stanford University in California.
Minimal Cells Illuminate Life’s Origins and Advance Synthetic Biology, Says Kate Adamala
Kate Adamala from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis adds, “Studying minimal cells helps reveal the fundamental principles of life and its evolutionary origins,” noting that these cells closely resemble the last universal common ancestor of all life on Earth.
The discovery also “moves us closer to creating fully defined, understood, and controllable living cells,” says Adamala. “Because they lack the complexity of natural systems, synthetic cells serve as powerful tools for both fundamental research and biotech applications.”
“The possibilities are enormous—in agriculture, nutrition, medicine, and environmental cleanup,” adds Jef Boeke of New York University. “Being able to fine-tune and correct biological code is a key milestone toward realizing those applications.”
Read the original article on: New Scientist
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