Creating artificial systems that mimic the functioning of cells is one of the goals of what is known as synthetic biology.

How can lifeless molecules come together to form a living cell? It is one of the most fundamental questions in science: how can lifeless molecules come together to form a living cell? Bert Poolman, ...

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it," goes the old adage, which Rice University professor James Chappell completely ignored in a ...

Researchers introduces an innovative chemical strategy to create biomimetic structures with greater efficiency.

Schematic of synthetic protocells: Upon activation with a light pulse, synthetic cell organelles release substance A. The substance enters the receiver protocell and its synthetic organelle containing ...

Cells use phase separation to organize their inner environment, creating compartments for essential biochemical reactions without the use of membranes. Tian's team realized that by engineering similar ...

Scientists describe molecules like DNA or the amino acids that build proteins as being left-handed or right-handed in their configurations. In humans, the left hand and the right hand are mirror ...

LMU researchers have demonstrated a possible mechanism for metabolic processes without cell membranes in water-filled pores. Looking at life today, it is difficult to imagine how complex biological ...

This image shows the production of ATP in a mitochondrion, requiring > 100 proteins, and the synthetic vesicles producing ATP, with only 5 proteins. It is one of the most fundamental questions in ...