Synthetic protocell biology: from reproduction to computation

• Published in: Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B. Biological sciences Vol. 362; no. 1486; pp. 1727 - 1739
• Main Authors: Solé, Ricard V, Munteanu, Andreea, Rodriguez-Caso, Carlos, Macía, Javier
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London The Royal Society 29.10.2007
• Subjects: Artificial cells; Biology; Biology - trends; Cell Cycle; Cell Membrane; Cell membranes; Cell Physiological Phenomena; Cells; Computer Simulation; Enzymes; Information; Lipids; Liposomes; Metabolism; Models, Biological; Molecules; RNA; Synthetic Biology
• ISSN: 0962-8436; 1471-2970
• DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2007.2065

Cells are the building blocks of biological complexity. They are complex systems sustained by the coordinated cooperative dynamics of several biochemical networks. Their replication, adaptation and computational features emerge as a consequence of appropriate molecular feedbacks that somehow define what life is. As the last decades have brought the transition from the description-driven biology to the synthesis-driven biology, one great challenge shared by both the fields of bioengineering and the origin of life is to find the appropriate conditions under which living cellular structures can effectively emerge and persist. Here, we review current knowledge (both theoretical and experimental) on possible scenarios of artificial cell design and their future challenges.