World's simplest artificial cell capable of chemical navigation unveiled

Source: interestingengineering
Author: @IntEngineering
Published: 7/25/2025
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Read original articleResearchers at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) have developed the simplest artificial cell capable of chemical navigation, mimicking the chemotaxis behavior of living cells such as bacteria and white blood cells. This “minimal cell” is a tiny lipid vesicle encapsulating enzymes and membrane pore proteins, enabling it to actively move toward specific chemical substances like glucose or urea. The movement arises from an asymmetry created by enzyme reactions inside the vesicle and chemical exchange through pores, generating fluid flow that propels the vesicle directionally without the need for complex cellular machinery like flagella or signaling pathways.
By analyzing over 10,000 vesicles, the researchers found that increasing the number of pores enhanced the chemotactic response, demonstrating a controllable, enzyme-driven navigation system. This minimalist synthetic biology approach helps uncover fundamental principles underlying cellular communication and transport by stripping down biological complexity to its core components. Beyond advancing understanding of cell function, the work also offers insights into how early simple cells
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materialssynthetic-biologyartificial-cellschemotaxislipid-vesiclesenzyme-encapsulationbioengineering