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Related Concept Videos

Synthetic Biology02:55

Synthetic Biology

Synthetic biology is an interdisciplinary science that involves using principles from disciplines such as engineering, molecular biology, cell biology, and systems biology. It involves remodeling existing organisms from nature or constructing completely new synthetic organisms for applications such as protein or enzyme production, bioremediation, value-added macromolecule production, and the addition of desirable traits to crops, to name a few.
Golden rice
Golden rice is a genetically modified...
Animal and Plant Cell Structure01:30

Animal and Plant Cell Structure

Animal and plant cells not only differ in their structure, function, and mode of nutrition but also in how they reproduce, specialize, and organize into complex structures.
Cell Division
Though both plant and animal cells divide by mitosis (for non-gametic cells) and meiosis (for gametic cells), they differ in the specifics of this process. Unlike animal cells, plant cells lack centrosomes — an organelle responsible for organizing the spindle fibers and segregating the chromosomes during cell...
Zygotic Development And Stem Cell Formation01:10

Zygotic Development And Stem Cell Formation

The development of all multicellular organisms starts with the fusion of haploid cells called sperm and egg to form a diploid zygote. A zygote is a totipotent cell that can develop into a complete organism. The zygote undergoes cell division or cleavage to form an 8-cell mass. Until this stage, the cells are spherical, loosely attached, and remain totipotent. Totipotent cells are capable of developing both the embryonic and the extraembryonic tissues. However, as they continue to divide, they...
Methods of Nuclear Reprogramming01:24

Methods of Nuclear Reprogramming

Nuclear reprogramming is a process of transforming one cell type into an unrelated cell type by epigenetic changes that alter the cell’s original gene expression pattern. Such epigenetic changes force cells to express a different set of genes, which play a significant role in inducing transformation into other cell types. Nuclear reprogramming offers applications in reproductive cloning for livestock propagation and regenerative medicine — developing patient-specific cells for injury repair.
Reproductive Cloning01:27

Reproductive Cloning

Reproductive cloning is the process of producing a genetically identical copy—a clone—of an entire organism. While clones can be produced by splitting an early embryo—similar to what happens naturally with identical twins—cloning of adult animals is usually done by a process called somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT).
Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer
In SCNT, an egg cell is taken from an animal and its nucleus is removed, creating an enucleated egg. Then a somatic cell—any cell that is not a sex...
Cellular Differentiation00:57

Cellular Differentiation

How does a complex organism such as a human develop from a single cell? It all starts from a single fertilized egg which gives rise to a vast array of cell types, such as nerve cells, muscle cells, and epithelial cells that characterize the adult? Throughout development and adulthood, cellular differentiation leads cells to assume their final morphology and physiology. Differentiation is the process by which unspecialized cells become specialized to carry out distinct functions.
A zygote is a...

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Synthetic Condensates and Cell-Like Architectures from Amphiphilic DNA Nanostructures
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Synthetic multicellularity.

Michel M Maharbiz1

  • 1Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA. maharbiz@eecs.berkeley.edu

Trends in Cell Biology
|October 9, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Scientists are exploring the engineering of rudimentary, autonomous multicellular ensembles. This review synthesizes advancements in synthetic biology and related fields to guide future development in creating self-sufficient biological systems.

Area of Science:

  • Synthetic biology
  • Cell biology
  • Developmental biology
  • Computational biology
  • Bioengineering

Background:

  • Humanity has long dreamed of synthesizing biological constructs comparable in scale to natural organisms.
  • Gene modification has been a foundational step towards this ambitious goal.
  • Recent progress across multiple scientific disciplines offers new possibilities.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review and integrate recent developments in synthetic biology, cell and developmental biology, computation, and technology.
  • To provide context and direction for engineering rudimentary, autonomous multicellular ensembles.
  • To bridge the gap between theoretical aspirations and practical engineering of biological systems.

Main Methods:

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  • Literature review synthesizing cross-disciplinary research.
  • Analysis of recent advancements in synthetic biology.
  • Integration of findings from cell and developmental biology.
  • Evaluation of computational and technological developments.

Main Results:

  • Identification of key convergence points between different scientific fields.
  • Framework for understanding the engineering requirements of multicellular ensembles.
  • Highlighting of current limitations and future opportunities.

Conclusions:

  • The engineering of autonomous multicellular ensembles is an emerging frontier.
  • Interdisciplinary collaboration is crucial for progress.
  • Continued advancements in synthetic biology and related fields pave the way for creating complex, self-organizing biological systems.