Towards a synthetic cell cycle

Lorenzo Olivi, Mareike Berger, Ramon N.P. Creyghton, Nicola De Franceschi, Cees Dekker, Bela M. Mulder, Nico J. Claassens, Pieter Rein ten Wolde, John van der Oost*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

40 Citations (Scopus)
31 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Recent developments in synthetic biology may bring the bottom-up generation of a synthetic cell within reach. A key feature of a living synthetic cell is a functional cell cycle, in which DNA replication and segregation as well as cell growth and division are well integrated. Here, we describe different approaches to recreate these processes in a synthetic cell, based on natural systems and/or synthetic alternatives. Although some individual machineries have recently been established, their integration and control in a synthetic cell cycle remain to be addressed. In this Perspective, we discuss potential paths towards an integrated synthetic cell cycle.

Original languageEnglish
Article number4531
Number of pages11
JournalNature Communications
Volume12
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2021

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