Researchers at the University of Minnesota have for the first time assembled a fully synthetic SpudCell cell from non-living chemical components that can feed, grow, copy the genome, and share. This is the first synthetic cell with a complete cell cycle that can undergo selection and competition over several generations.

The SpudCell genome consists of just 90,000 base pairs - the smallest known prokaryotic genome - and is divided into seven plasmids for independent function programming. The cell is made up of 150-200 molecules, including 36 enzymes and a lipid membrane, with scientists knowing each component, which allows for a targeted design of an organism.

As long as SpudCell remains primitive: it is divided once every 12 hours, the cell requires external feeding and does not produce its own proteins. Researchers see the development of a foundation for future bioeconomics and launch the organization Biotic to create open standards in synthetic biology, although the scientific community continues to debate whether SpudCell can be considered full life.