Scientists have achieved another truly groundbreaking achievement. Researchers have developed programmable semi-robot cells that could revolutionize medicine and environmental cleanup, according to a new paper published in the journal Advanced Science.
New research led by researchers at the University of California shows that it is possible to develop semi-living, semi-robot cells that retain the capabilities of living cells but cannot divide and grow. It is this non-replication feature that has made these programmable semi-robot cells such an important breakthrough.
For artificial cells to be truly useful, they must be able to perform controlled actions. It’s not easy when cells can multiply, because they can quickly get out of control. But by developing programmable semi-robot cells that cannot divide and grow, researchers have discovered a new type of artificial cell that can be completely controlled.
Because they can be so well controlled, these new cells could be extremely useful in cleaning up pollution and even as a targeted therapy for diseases like cancer. By most standards, cell engineering relies on two methods: remodeling existing cells or creating artificial cells with limited capabilities. But these new programmable semi-robot cells offer a third method.
Now, researchers have shown that we can create programmable artificial cells using bacterial cells as the basis. From there, they took the cells, added elements from the artificial polymer, and then exposed them to ultraviolet light to form a hydrogel matrix. In this way, programmable semi-robot cells can withstand higher stress than normal cells.
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