Researchers report a chemically defined synthetic cell that replicates its DNA
Synthetic biologists led by Kate Adamala at the University of Minnesota have described “SpudCell,” an engineered structure built from lipid bubbles (liposomes) carrying DNA plasmids that appear to divide and replicate their genetic material, STAT reports . The system is fully chemically defined — its builders say there are no unknown components — and after five generations roughly 30 percent of the bubbles still carried the original DNA code.
The construct is not self-sufficient: it must be fed externally with enzymes and nutrient-loaded liposomes, which is why whether it qualifies as “alive” remains contested. It reproduces cell-like behavior without matching the independence of a natural cell.
The findings were posted as a preprint, meaning they have not yet cleared peer review, and the claims should be treated as preliminary. The team has set up a public-benefit corporation, Biotic — co-founded with Stanford’s Drew Endy — to hand the technique to other labs. The practical appeal of a cell assembled from known parts is control: a defined chassis is easier to program and audit than a repurposed bacterium, which is why the field treats reproducible synthetic replication as a milestone worth scrutinizing rather than celebrating outright.