A synthetic cell grew, copied its DNA, and split in two

Researchers have achieved a first in synthetic biology: an artificial cell built entirely from scratch—no living components, just fatty membranes, DNA, and thirty-six lab enzymes that perform protein synthesis—has completed a full life cycle. The cell grew, copied its own DNA, and divided into two. According to Boing Boing, this marks the first time scientists have watched an engineered cell achieve complete cell division.

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