Tag

Artificial Life

All articles tagged with #artificial life

science9 days ago•5 min saved

SpudCell: Minnesota researchers unveil a near-life synthetic cell built from nonliving components

University of Minnesota researchers report the creation of SpudCell, a life-like synthetic cell assembled from nonliving components that can grow, replicate its DNA and divide under lab conditions, featuring a 90,000-base-pair genome. After five generations, only about 30% of daughter cells inherited the complete synthetic genome, underscoring current limits. Published as a bioRxiv preprint (not peer-reviewed), the work marks a milestone toward artificial life but the cells require external nutrients and strict lab conditions and are far from self-sustaining, prompting ongoing biosafety and biosecurity discussions.

via Fox News|

#artificial-life #biorxiv #science

science10 days ago•27 min saved

Lab-Built Droplet Signals Growth and Division, Nudging Synthetic Life Forward

University of Minnesota synthetic biologist Kate Adamala and team created SpudCell, a lab-made droplet of 150–200 molecules carrying a 36-gene, 90,000-base-pair genome that can feed, grow, copy DNA, and divide about every 12 hours at 30°C. However ribosomes degrade over time and only about 30% of instances retain the full genome after five divisions, and the system is not yet a living cell. The work led to Biotic, a new initiative with $10 million in seed funding to advance synthetic cell development, with potential future applications in cancer therapies, carbon capture, and chemical manufacturing.

via Ground News|

#artificial-life #biotechnology #cell-replication

science10 days ago•4 min saved

SpudCells demonstrate a complete synthetic-cell life cycle with lab-made DNA

Researchers built SpudCells—synthetic, non-living cells formed from chemical components and lab-made DNA—that grow, copy their genome, and divide in a nutrient-rich solution by fusing with feeder liposomes, marking the first demonstration of a complete synthetic-cell life cycle. While not alive and dependent on external chemicals, they offer a controllable chassis for testing biological circuits and could underpin future biotechnologies; the work appeared as a preprint and has spurred plans to form Biotic to advance the approach toward an 'operating system for life'.

via The Guardian|

#artificial-life #dna-replication #liposomes

technology11 months ago•6 min saved

Robots that Consume Each Other for Growth and Survival

Researchers at Columbia University have developed a robotic system that can self-assemble, grow, and reconfigure by 'eating' other robots, inspired by biological metabolism, with potential future applications in building structures like lunar colonies. The project explores the concept of robotic metabolism and survivability, though it currently lacks real-world utility and diverse modules, aiming instead to develop autonomous, adaptable robotic ecosystems.

via Ars Technica|

#artificial-life #metabolism #robot-ecology

science11 months ago•5 min saved

Breakthrough in Unraveling Earth's Life Origins

Harvard scientists have created artificial cell-like systems that mimic key features of life, such as metabolism, reproduction, and evolution, providing new insights into how life may have originated on Earth from simple molecules.

via Phys.org|

#artificial-life #chemistry #evolution

science2 years ago•2 min saved

"Advancements in Understanding the Origins of Life: From RNA World to Artificial Life"

Scientists at the Salk Institute have created a lab-made RNA molecule that can accurately copy others, bringing them closer to replicating the conditions for early Earth life in a lab. While the molecule isn't yet self-replicating, it represents a significant step towards creating artificial life. This breakthrough has the potential to revolutionize the study of the earliest evolutionary stages of life and raises ethical questions about synthetic lifeforms.

via Futurism|

#artificial-life #evolutionary-biology #laboratory-research