CD Biosynsis combines our expertise in cell-free synthetic biology with advanced microfluidic platform to help our customers construct artificial cell chassis and explore their synthetic biology potential. We are committed to helping our customers facilitate the application of artificial cells in biotechnology, medicine, environment, agriculture, and other fields.
Background
As highly advanced microreactors, cells possess a variety of biological functions essential for life, such as growth, replication, homeostasis maintenance, and response to biotic and abiotic stress. However, from a synthetic biology perspective, most of these biological functions may be redundant. Inspired by this, scientists have attempted to construct artificial cells using synthetic and natural components to mimic natural cells. Artificial cells can be cell imators with cell-like structures or engineered materials that can mimic several properties of living cells. They have received much attention in the field of synthetic biology. Artificial cells have been developed as a versatile chassis for synthetic biology and can be applied in various fields. Artificial cells may also provide valuable insights into the origin of life.
What We Can Do
CD Biosynsis offers both the top-down and bottom-up approach to help our customers construct typical and non-typical artificial cells as ideal chassis for synthetic biology applications. All our services involving artificial cells are for research use only and not for clinical or any other use that may raise ethical concerns or pose significant risks.
Top-down Construction of Typical Artificial Cells
Based on the analysis of essential, quasi-essential, and non-essential genes, we help our customers design and synthesize minimal genomes which is necessary for the cell to survive. We can construct artificial cells by deleting or replacing genomes in living organisms such as bacteria and viruses. Through the continued development of our genetic engineering and synthetic biology tools, our scientists look forward to working with our customers to advance the construction of minimal eukaryotic cells.
Bottom-up Construction of Typical Artificial Cells
Leveraging our expertise in cell free synthetic biology and advanced microfluidic platform, we have the ability to help our customers overcome challenges in assembling non-biotic components, including information-carrying molecules (e.g., DNA, RNA, and proteins), cell membranes (e.g. phospholipid membrane, fatty acid membrane, semipermeable membrane, and inorganic membrane), and metabolic systems, to construct artificial cells that have essential properties of natural living cells.
Construction of Non-typical Artificial Cells
In addition to typical artificial cells, we can also help our customers construct non-typical artificial cells that can mimic certain properties of living cells, including shapes, morphology, surface characteristics, or cellular functions, to facilitate in-depth understanding of the underlying mechanisms of cell biology.
Applications of Artificial Cell Chassis
CD Biosynsis provide full support to our customers in developing extensive range of potential applications of artificial cell chassis in different fields.
| Biotechnology and nanobiotechnology applications |
- Production of biotechnological products (e.g., monoclonal antibodies and interferons).
- Microdevice and nanodevice.
- Biosensors for analyte detection.
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| Medical applications |
- Development of therapeutics (e.g., enzyme replacement therapy, cell therapy, cancer therapy, and blood substitutes).
- Drug delivery systems (e.g., biodegradable polymeric membrane artificial cells and liposomes).
- Nanomedicine and regenerative medicine.
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| Agricultural and environmental applications |
- Production of energy (e.g., artificial photosynthetic cells).
- Food production.
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Want to Learn More?
CD Biosynsis has been continuously expanding our synthetic biology toolbox and keeping our knowledge and skills current. We provide full support for our customers' innovations in synthetic biology. If you require any further details, please feel free to contact us and let us know how we can support your new idea or project.
References
- Buddingh' B C & van Hest J C M. Artificial cells: synthetic compartments with life-like functionality and adaptivity. Accounts of chemical research, 2017, 50(4): 769-777.
- Xu C, et al. Artificial cells: from basic science to applications. Materials today, 2016, 19(9): 516-532.
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