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Nanoscale Fabrication
Index: #35

Synthetic Biology Platforms Are Over-Reliant on Evolved Cells That We Don’t Fully Understand or Control

We currently perform synthetic biology using naturally evolved (“kludgy”) cells rather than truly bottom-up engineered cells. This bottleneck limits our ability to design fully customizable biological systems.

Foundational Capabilities (1)

Bottom-Up Synthetic Cells

Develop entirely synthetic cells constructed from the ground up, rather than relying on evolved cell systems. This approach would enable precise control over cellular functions and properties, although risks must also be considered, e.g., https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ads9158
  • Build-A-Cell: Open collaboration supporting the science and engineering of building synthetic cells
    Initiative
  • Building Synthetic Cells─From the Technology Infrastructure to Cellular Entities
    Technology Seed