Read an article in ScienceDaily Researchers create artificial cell that act like living cells, that discusses research published in Nature Chemistry, Designer peptide-DNA cytoskeletons regulate the function of synthetic cells, about researchers that have designed different cytoskeletons (networks of fibers that form the internal framework of cells, wikipedia). Cytoskeletons essentially provide a cell with its shape and mechanical properties.
Researchers have been working on synthetic biology for some time and we have reported on some of their progress (and dangers) in prior posts, (see for example, our DNA IT, the next revolution post). While synthetic biology could make use of natural cells, for example by replacing its DNA, the new research could do away with the need for natural cells altogether.
The researchers has come up with a method to create a cellular structure through programming DNA. Normal cellular cytoskeletons uses “microfilaments, intermediate filaments and microtubules” (wikipedia). But the new research has come up with a way of combining DNA segments and filament proteins to create the cytoskeleton and have it self assemble.
Why Cytoskeletons?
Cytoskeleton are important because many of the diseases of today are associated with the mechanical or structural properties of cells going awry. Also, by controlling the external structure of a synthetic cell, it can be tuned to supply medicines or other therapeutic mechanisms to natural cells.
It’s also a necessary ingredient in any synthetic or artificial cell. Cytoskeleton creation and control is a key ingredient needed to make these any artificial cell.
Moreover, on the surface of natural cells, there are numerous protein formations that allow other proteins to be selectively attached and allow transfer of biological materials from the matched entity, exterior to the cell to its interior. Control of the external proteins on an artificial cell would allow the synthetic cell to target specific cell types or participate in the natural biological processes in an organism.
Virus and bacteria use similar mechanisms to infect a host (or a host’s cells). Also, it turns out the structure and external attributes of cells have a significant bearing on how they function in a body.
changing a synthetic cytoskeleton
The researchers not only have come up with a way to tune the self assembly of a cytoskeleton, they have also found a way to modify this cytoskeleton, once created.
For example, the original synthetic cell cytoskeleton could be changed based on some interaction with the environment (say, being heated, cooled or payload depletion). Changing the cytoskeleton could be used to provide another stage of functionality or render an artificial cell inert to be disposed through normal organism processes.
Artificial or synthetic biology opens up a number of interesting possibilities.
- Many biological substances are manufactured from tuned natural biological processes. With the ability to regulate synthetic cell cytoskeleton and internal operation, synthetic cells could be designed to perform these processes more efficiently, faster or at lower cost.
- Medicine could benefit from a new synthetic biological toolkit used to target cancer cells, or other cellular afflictions within a body to better treat these conditions.
- Self assembly of a cytoskeleton could potentially be used to create organic nanobots or other nano-materials. For example, a designer cell could be used as part of a repeating pattern of cells that go into a 2D sheet or 3D block of materials.
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Creating synthetic cytoskeletons takes time, and changing them takes even more time (180 min in the above picture). Cytoskeleton design and construction is not an industrial design process yet but it’s still early yet. However someday (soon), synthetic biology will take its place among all the other biological control mechanisms that the world has created and will significantly change the way we create biological materials, treat disease and maybe even, create nano-bots.
The downsides, as I’ve discussed before, is that messing with mother nature can have adverse consequences, which may remain unknown for a long time to come. But this can be true of any technology, witness DDT.
Thoughts?
Picture Credit(s):
- Figure 1 from Nature Chemistry article, Designer peptide-DNA cytoskeletons regulate the function of synthetic cells.
- Figure 4 from Nature Chemistry article, Designer peptide-DNA cytoskeletons regulate the function of synthetic cells.
- Figure 6 from Nature Chemistry article, Designer peptide-DNA cytoskeletons regulate the function of synthetic cells.
