A Chemically Defined Synthetic Cell Capable Of Growth And Replication
Abstract
Cells are the fundamental unit of life. Yet there is no natural cell for which all its life-essential functions are understood. Here we demonstrate a complete cell cycle for a synthetic cell undergoing selection, with genome replication, growth, resource acquisition via feeding, and genetically encoded division. The cell is encoded via a 90kb genome that includes functions needed for resource uptake, transcription, translation, growth, genome replication, and division. The resulting synthetic cell is sufficiently encouraging to support routinization of synthetic cell engineering workflows, and will ultimately underlie diverse applications across all of biotechnology.
Lifecycle
- biorxiv v1 2026-07-09 source ↗
Discussion
Moderated digest of third-party discussion on Bluesky — substantive endorsement and critique. 2 post(s) filtered (self-promotion, off-topic, or low-substance).
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Buzz Baum @buzzbaum.bsky.social · 3076 followers neutral
In making its case, the text www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6... plays loose with usual notions of: I) A paper (intro (summary of field), results, figures, methods, discussion) II) A cell III) Semipermeable membrane (has holes), growth (via fusion), division (via external force), cell cycle, heredity…
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Sven T. Stripp @stripplab.bsky.social · 938 followers critical
People talk about #SpudCell but barely anybody links the preprint... Long, transparent manuscript including SI. Data look convincing although I'm a bit out of expertice here. Sure, this is not "Life". But a big step for synthetic biology nevertheless 🧪🌿 doi.org/10.64898/202...
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Manuel Mendoza @longchrom.bsky.social · 449 followers neutral
Now that the paper is in bioRxiv, I’d be interested in reading reviews, which can be posted as comments. The link above didn’t work for me, maybe this will: doi: doi.org/10.64898/202...
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Jase Gehring @skyjase.bsky.social · 922 followers neutral
what i find most interesting about this work is that it was performed in Minnesota. Europe has been very forward looking with their Synthetic Cell Initiative, and a lot of the best synthetic life work is European
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Michael Busch @michael-w-busch.bsky.social · 3429 followers neutral
Biologists do strange things. Gaut et al. 2026, "A Chemically Defined Synthetic Cell Capable of Growth and Replication" - www.biotic.org/research/spu... (This system does not make its own proteins - it relies on ribosomes from bacteria.) Via @pzmyers.bsky.social .
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bioRxiv Synthetic Biology @biorxiv-synthbio.bsky.social · 1641 followers neutral
A Chemically Defined Synthetic Cell Capable Of Growth And Replication https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.01.735724v1
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bioRxivpreprint @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social · 8895 followers neutral
A Chemically Defined Synthetic Cell Capable Of Growth And Replication https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.01.735724v1
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Daily Rotation @dailyrotation.bsky.social · 1559 followers neutral
A Chemically Defined Synthetic Cell Capable of Growth and Replication biotic.org/research/spu...
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Cell Bio News @cellbionews.bsky.social · 79 followers neutral
A Chemically Defined Synthetic Cell Capable of Growth and Replication biotic.org/research/spu...
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Complexity Digest @cxdig.bsky.social · 309 followers neutral
A Chemically Defined Synthetic Cell Capable of Growth and Replication
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Tominaga K. (tomiken) @pacyc184.bsky.social · 274 followers neutral
A Chemically Defined Synthetic Cell Capable of Growth and Replication