Updated · National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine · Jul 7
Minnesota Lab Synthesizes Cells That Reproduce, Raising New Biosafety Questions in 15-Member Report
Updated
Updated · National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine · Jul 7
Minnesota Lab Synthesizes Cells That Reproduce, Raising New Biosafety Questions in 15-Member Report
3 articles · Updated · National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine · Jul 7
Summary
University of Minnesota researchers said their synthetic cells can feed, grow, replicate their own DNA and divide, marking a new step toward cell-like systems that may even be able to evolve.
The advance sharpens both the promise and the risk debate around synthetic cells, which researchers hope to use in medicine, agriculture and environmental cleanup while still struggling to predict how novel systems behave outside the lab.
Peter Carr, co-chair of a 15-member National Academies committee, said most risks resemble those of other engineered organisms—such as ecological disruption or accidental creation of more dangerous traits—but remain hard to quantify because the field is new.
The report calls for controlled lab and field studies, public engagement and a U.S. interagency working group to coordinate oversight across regulators including the FDA, EPA and USDA.
It also flags “mirror life” as a potentially distinct hazard, because organisms built from opposite-handed biomolecules might evade immune defenses and compete unusually well in natural environments.
A new lab-made cell can grow and evolve on its own. Have we finally created life, and can we truly control it?
With billions invested in synthetic life, can our outdated regulations prevent a catastrophic accident before it's too late?
Scientists warn of 'mirror life' our immune systems can't fight. Are we engineering an unstoppable, artificial plague?
SpudCell and the Dawn of Synthetic Life: Scientific Breakthrough, Applications, and the Urgent Need for New Biosafety Governance
Overview
Scientists at the University of Minnesota, led by Dr. Kate Adamala, have made a major breakthrough in synthetic biology by creating SpudCell, the world’s first synthetic cell built entirely from non-living chemical components. SpudCell can complete a full life cycle, including feeding, growth, and reproduction, marking a significant step toward understanding and engineering life itself. The name SpudCell was chosen as a playful nod and as a reference to Sputnik, symbolizing a new era in biological engineering. This achievement opens new possibilities for science and technology, showing how life-like systems can be engineered from scratch.