Synthetic cell built that replicates DNA and divides

Researchers at the University of Minnesota have constructed a synthetic cell-like system capable of growing, replicating its DNA, and dividing, marking a significant step toward building living systems entirely from nonliving chemical components. The team, led by synthetic biologist Kate Adamala, announced the creation of "SpudCell" on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, detailing the work in a scientific paper that is set to be submitted for peer-reviewed publication.

SpudCell is built from liposomes-tiny spheres surrounded by fatty membranes-along with a synthetic genome and a defined set of purified enzymes. Unlike natural cells or previous synthetic biology projects that modified existing organisms, SpudCell is assembled from individually known chemical parts. Adamala emphasized that every component and its concentration is known, making the system fully defined and, therefore, engineerable.

The synthetic cell completes a basic life cycle. It acquires resources by fusing with feeder liposomes containing nutrients and molecular machinery. As it grows, it replicates its 90,000-base-pair genome, which is split across seven DNA plasmids. Division is achieved not by a natural cytoskeleton...