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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 11, 2025

Design and Synthesis of a Reconfigurable DNA Accordion Rack

Design and Synthesis of a Reconfigurable DNA Accordion Rack

Published on: August 15, 2018

Kinematic self-replication in reconfigurable organisms.

Sam Kriegman^1,2, Douglas Blackiston^1,2, Michael Levin^1,2

¹Allen Discovery Center, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

|November 30, 2021

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Synthetic multicellular assemblies can spontaneously replicate by compressing surrounding cells into self-copies. This kinematic replication, unlike biological evolution, offers rapid development of useful traits without genetic engineering.

Keywords:

artificial intelligence self-replication synthetic biology

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Last Updated: Oct 11, 2025

Design and Synthesis of a Reconfigurable DNA Accordion Rack

Design and Synthesis of a Reconfigurable DNA Accordion Rack

Published on: August 15, 2018

Origami Inspired Self-assembly of Patterned and Reconfigurable Particles

Origami Inspired Self-assembly of Patterned and Reconfigurable Particles

Published on: February 4, 2013

In Vitro Reconstitution of Self-Organizing Protein Patterns on Supported Lipid Bilayers

In Vitro Reconstitution of Self-Organizing Protein Patterns on Supported Lipid Bilayers

Published on: July 28, 2018

Area of Science:

Synthetic biology
Developmental biology
Artificial intelligence

Background:

Living systems perpetuate through biological reproduction like splitting, budding, or birth.
Understanding the fundamental principles of replication and self-perpetuation is key to synthetic biology and artificial life.
Existing biological replication mechanisms are products of long-term evolutionary processes.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate if synthetic multicellular assemblies can achieve self-replication through non-biological means.
To explore the potential for rapid, spontaneous emergence of replicative capabilities in artificial systems.
To utilize artificial intelligence for designing self-replicating assemblies with enhanced functionality and longevity.

Main Methods:

Construction of synthetic multicellular assemblies capable of movement and interaction with dissociated cells.
Observation and analysis of the spontaneous self-copying process over several days.
Application of artificial intelligence algorithms to design and optimize assembly behavior for sustained replication and task performance.

Main Results:

Synthetic multicellular assemblies demonstrated kinematic self-replication by compressing environmental cells into functional self-copies.
This novel form of replication emerged spontaneously within days, contrasting with the millennia-long timescale of biological evolution.
AI-designed assemblies showed postponed loss of replicative ability and performed useful work as a byproduct of replication.

Conclusions:

Kinematic self-replication is achievable in synthetic multicellular systems, offering a new paradigm beyond biological reproduction.
Spontaneous replication in artificial systems broadens the understanding of replication's origins and phenotypic plasticity.
AI-driven design enables rapid development of self-replicating machines with useful, engineered functions without genetic modification or evolutionary selection.