Towards Synthetic Cells with Self-Producing Energy

Autonomous generation of energy, specifically adenosine triphosphate (ATP), is critical for sustaining the engineered functionalities of synthetic cells constructed from the bottom-up. In this mini-review, we categorize studies on ATP-producing synthetic cells into three different approaches: photosynthetic mechanisms, mitochondrial respiration mimicry, and utilization of non-conventional approaches such as exploiting synthetic metabolic pathways. Within this framework, we evaluate the strengths and limitations of each approach and provide directions for future research endeavors. We also introduce a concept of building ATP-generating synthetic organelle that will enable us to mimic cellular respiration in a simpler way than current strategies. This review aims to highlight the importance of energy self-production in synthetic cells, providing suggestions and ideas that may help overcome some longstanding challenges in this field.