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Preparation of Giant Vesicles Encapsulating Microspheres by Centrifugation of a Water-in-oil Emulsion
Published on: January 24, 2017
A giant step towards artificial life?
1Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA. deamer@hydrogen.ucsc.edu
Abstract:
Step by step, the components of an artificial form of cellular life are being assembled by researchers. Lipid vesicles the size of small bacteria can be prepared and under certain conditions are able to grow and divide, then grow again. Polymerase enzymes encapsulated in the vesicles can synthesize RNA from externally added substrates. Most recently, the entire translation apparatus, including ribosomes, has been captured in vesicles. Substantial amounts of proteins were produced, including green fluorescent protein used as a marker for protein synthesis. Can we now assemble a living cell? Not quite yet because no one has produced a polymerase that can be reproduced along with growth of the other molecular components required by life. But we are closer than ever before.
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