Nature creates artificial cells with realistic functions!

Scientists have harnessed the potential of bacteria to help build advanced synthetic cells

The study, led by the University of Bristol, published today in the journal Nature, makes important advances in the deployment of synthetic cells, also known as protocells, to more accurately represent the complex composition, structure and function

From bottom-up synthetic biology and bioengineering to the study of the origin of life, establishing real function in protocells is a major global challenge

Professor Stephen Mann of the School of Chemistry at the University of Bristol and Can Xu, Nicolas Martin (currently at the University of Bordeaux) and Mei from max planck's Bristol Centre for Protolife Research Colleagues such as Li demonstrated a way to construct highly complex protocells using viscous droplets filled with living bacteria as microscopic building sites

In the first step, the team exposed the empty droplets to two types of bacteria

To further test the capabilities of the technique, the team employed a series of chemical steps to engineer bacterial prototype cells

As a step in building synthetic/live cell entities, the researchers implanted live bacteria into prototype cells to produce self-sufficient ATP production and provide long-term energy

Corresponding author Professor Stephen Mann said: "Reaching a high degree of tissue and functional complexity in synthetic cells is difficult, especially under conditions

Lead author Dr Can Xu, research assistant at the University of Bristol, added: "Our approach to biomaterial assembly provides an opportunity

Living material assembly of bacteriogenic protocells