Cell-free protein synthesis in micro compartments: building a minimal cell from biobricks

Publication date: Available online 6 July 2017
Source:New Biotechnology
Author(s): Haiyang Jia, Michael Heymann, Frank Bernhard, Petra Schwille, Lei Kai
The construction of a minimal cell that exhibits the essential characteristics of life is a great challenge in the field of synthetic biology. Assembling a minimal cell requires multidisciplinary expertise from physics, chemistry and biology. Scientists from different backgrounds tend to define the essence of 'life' differently and have thus proposed different artificial cell models possessing one or several essential features of living cells. Using the tools and methods of molecular biology, the bottom-up engineering of a minimal cell appears in reach. However, several challenges still remain. In particular, the integration of individual sub-systems that is required to achieve a self-reproducing cell model presents a complex optimization challenge. For example, multiple self-organization and self-assembly processes have to be carefully tuned. We review advances and developments of new methods and techniques, for cell-free protein synthesis as well as micro-fabrication, for their potential to resolve challenges and to accelerate the development of minimal cells.



from # All Medicine by Alexandros G. Sfakianakis via Alexandros G.Sfakianakis on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2uQt80u
via IFTTT