Real images of a SpudCell
July 29, 2026 at 2:28 PM
Real images of a SpudCell
Scientists have created a synthetic cell that can eat, grow and reproduce. The lab-made cell, called SpudCell, could help researchers better understand the basic building blocks of life.
SpudCell: Scientists Made a Cell With Most of the Hallmarks of Life. Here’s What to Know.
From why it was created to whether it’s alive, here’s what to know about SpudCell, the latest advance in synthetic biology.
nyti.ms
July 1, 2026 at 6:40 PM
Scientists have created a synthetic cell that can eat, grow and reproduce. The lab-made cell, called SpudCell, could help researchers better understand the basic building blocks of life.
Is it alive? Our #PictureOfTheWeek is the SpudCell.
Image Credit and Caption:
1. A SpudCell. The DNA of the genome and the synthetic cell membrane are stained with fluorescent dyes. Credit: Orion Venero, Adamala Lab
Image Credit and Caption:
1. A SpudCell. The DNA of the genome and the synthetic cell membrane are stained with fluorescent dyes. Credit: Orion Venero, Adamala Lab
July 6, 2026 at 10:06 PM
Is it alive? Our #PictureOfTheWeek is the SpudCell.
Image Credit and Caption:
1. A SpudCell. The DNA of the genome and the synthetic cell membrane are stained with fluorescent dyes. Credit: Orion Venero, Adamala Lab
Image Credit and Caption:
1. A SpudCell. The DNA of the genome and the synthetic cell membrane are stained with fluorescent dyes. Credit: Orion Venero, Adamala Lab
Science paper and summary:
Biotic | SpudCell
SpudCell and Biotic — announcement and media factsheet.
biotic.org
July 1, 2026 at 11:24 PM
Science paper and summary:
Meet SpudCell, a synthetic cell made from lifeless ingredients that feeds, grows, divides, and experiences selection. If it doesn't have all the hallmarks of life, it has a lot! Here's my story. Gift link: nyti.ms/4vCbTih
July 1, 2026 at 4:30 PM
Meet SpudCell, a synthetic cell made from lifeless ingredients that feeds, grows, divides, and experiences selection. If it doesn't have all the hallmarks of life, it has a lot! Here's my story. Gift link: nyti.ms/4vCbTih
Een nieuw #nerdland maandoverzicht! Met deze maand: Dure balpen! Hommelpuzzels! Phantom Twist! Jimothy! Spudcell! Robotleerkrachten! En veel meer...
open.spotify.com/episode/1B2u...
Met @lievenscheire.bsky.social @jbaert.bsky.social, Els, Hetty, Marian, Peter en Poncho
open.spotify.com/episode/1B2u...
Met @lievenscheire.bsky.social @jbaert.bsky.social, Els, Hetty, Marian, Peter en Poncho
August 3, 2026 at 1:11 PM
Een nieuw #nerdland maandoverzicht! Met deze maand: Dure balpen! Hommelpuzzels! Phantom Twist! Jimothy! Spudcell! Robotleerkrachten! En veel meer...
open.spotify.com/episode/1B2u...
Met @lievenscheire.bsky.social @jbaert.bsky.social, Els, Hetty, Marian, Peter en Poncho
open.spotify.com/episode/1B2u...
Met @lievenscheire.bsky.social @jbaert.bsky.social, Els, Hetty, Marian, Peter en Poncho
Crazy: SpudCell: The first synthetic cell with a complete cell cycle
#MicroSky 🧪
www.biotic.org/research/spu...
#MicroSky 🧪
www.biotic.org/research/spu...
July 1, 2026 at 8:33 PM
Crazy: SpudCell: The first synthetic cell with a complete cell cycle
#MicroSky 🧪
www.biotic.org/research/spu...
#MicroSky 🧪
www.biotic.org/research/spu...
Great summary of #SpudCell from @dereklowe.bsky.social. I had only read a secondary article (heavily based on the press release) on it, and despite the enormous hype inside could not figure out from that article whether it was even a top-down or bottom-up approach! www.science.org/content/blog...
Behold the SpudCell
www.science.org
July 9, 2026 at 10:08 AM
Great summary of #SpudCell from @dereklowe.bsky.social. I had only read a secondary article (heavily based on the press release) on it, and despite the enormous hype inside could not figure out from that article whether it was even a top-down or bottom-up approach! www.science.org/content/blog...
Meet the humble SpudCell:
‘Adamala’s colleagues originally wanted to name the lab’s creation after her. “Call it something that’s not my name, call it a potato for all I care,” she says she told them. SpudCell stuck—and the echo of Sputnik is welcome, Adamala says.”’
www.science.org/content/arti...
‘Adamala’s colleagues originally wanted to name the lab’s creation after her. “Call it something that’s not my name, call it a potato for all I care,” she says she told them. SpudCell stuck—and the echo of Sputnik is welcome, Adamala says.”’
www.science.org/content/arti...
Lab-created ‘SpudCell’ marks ‘stunning’ step toward building life from scratch
A synthetic cell can now grow and divide—but it’s still far from alive
www.science.org
July 1, 2026 at 4:46 PM
Meet the humble SpudCell:
‘Adamala’s colleagues originally wanted to name the lab’s creation after her. “Call it something that’s not my name, call it a potato for all I care,” she says she told them. SpudCell stuck—and the echo of Sputnik is welcome, Adamala says.”’
www.science.org/content/arti...
‘Adamala’s colleagues originally wanted to name the lab’s creation after her. “Call it something that’s not my name, call it a potato for all I care,” she says she told them. SpudCell stuck—and the echo of Sputnik is welcome, Adamala says.”’
www.science.org/content/arti...
4/4
Les auteurs insistent sur le fait qu'ils n'ont pas "créé la vie".
SpudCell reste un prototype très simplifié, doté d'un métabolisme rudimentaire et incapable de fabriquer tous les composants nécessaires à son propre fonctionnement.
www.science.org/content/arti...
Les auteurs insistent sur le fait qu'ils n'ont pas "créé la vie".
SpudCell reste un prototype très simplifié, doté d'un métabolisme rudimentaire et incapable de fabriquer tous les composants nécessaires à son propre fonctionnement.
www.science.org/content/arti...
Lab-created ‘SpudCell’ marks ‘stunning’ step toward building life from scratch
A synthetic cell can now grow and divide—but it’s still far from alive
www.science.org
July 2, 2026 at 12:05 PM
4/4
Les auteurs insistent sur le fait qu'ils n'ont pas "créé la vie".
SpudCell reste un prototype très simplifié, doté d'un métabolisme rudimentaire et incapable de fabriquer tous les composants nécessaires à son propre fonctionnement.
www.science.org/content/arti...
Les auteurs insistent sur le fait qu'ils n'ont pas "créé la vie".
SpudCell reste un prototype très simplifié, doté d'un métabolisme rudimentaire et incapable de fabriquer tous les composants nécessaires à son propre fonctionnement.
www.science.org/content/arti...
So Earth's Grey Goo scenario is going to be caused by ... SpudCell.
Spud. Cell.
Spud. Cell.
July 1, 2026 at 7:03 PM
So Earth's Grey Goo scenario is going to be caused by ... SpudCell.
Spud. Cell.
Spud. Cell.
I flew to Minnesota and interviewed Adamala for about three hours. First, I wanted to understand the bottlenecks with SpudCell. What engineering changes will they make to get it to reproduce continuously?
More links and full transcript here.
www.asimov.press/p/spudcell-...
More links and full transcript here.
www.asimov.press/p/spudcell-...
"SpudCell will replicate continuously by 2030" | Kate Adamala
Our first podcast!
www.asimov.press
September 17, 2026 at 8:40 PM
I flew to Minnesota and interviewed Adamala for about three hours. First, I wanted to understand the bottlenecks with SpudCell. What engineering changes will they make to get it to reproduce continuously?
More links and full transcript here.
www.asimov.press/p/spudcell-...
More links and full transcript here.
www.asimov.press/p/spudcell-...
Mise au point d'une cellule synthétique, assemblée entièrement à partir de composants chimiques non vivants (contrairement aux précédentes approches, qui modifiaient des cellules existantes).
Une fois créée, elle arbore certains comportements de cellule vivante, comme :
(suite ci-dessous)
Une fois créée, elle arbore certains comportements de cellule vivante, comme :
(suite ci-dessous)
July 2, 2026 at 12:05 PM
Mise au point d'une cellule synthétique, assemblée entièrement à partir de composants chimiques non vivants (contrairement aux précédentes approches, qui modifiaient des cellules existantes).
Une fois créée, elle arbore certains comportements de cellule vivante, comme :
(suite ci-dessous)
Une fois créée, elle arbore certains comportements de cellule vivante, comme :
(suite ci-dessous)
SpudCell suggests that life might emerge when ordinary matter is arranged in a very complex and organized way, rather than needing some special substance or mysterious “life force.” It also makes us question whether the line between living and nonliving things is really so clear.
September 26, 2026 at 12:31 PM
SpudCell suggests that life might emerge when ordinary matter is arranged in a very complex and organized way, rather than needing some special substance or mysterious “life force.” It also makes us question whether the line between living and nonliving things is really so clear.
Um, Spudcell is mostly fabricated from E. coli, cannot make its own ribosomes, and expires after five generations. There's a reason why the authors' work was rejected by peer review. They should never have gone to the journalists.
September 13, 2026 at 12:08 AM
Um, Spudcell is mostly fabricated from E. coli, cannot make its own ribosomes, and expires after five generations. There's a reason why the authors' work was rejected by peer review. They should never have gone to the journalists.
My latest cartoon for @newscientist.com. Inspired by recent news about the SpudCell. NS subscribers can read about it here: www.newscientist.com/article/2532...
July 29, 2026 at 10:33 AM
My latest cartoon for @newscientist.com. Inspired by recent news about the SpudCell. NS subscribers can read about it here: www.newscientist.com/article/2532...
“It’s just a microscopic water droplet surrounded by a fatty membrane and stuffed with chemicals and snippets of DNA encoding a mere 36 genes. But it’s also arguably the closest researchers have come to building a living cell from scratch.”🧪
My story in @science.org on a fascinating preprint:
My story in @science.org on a fascinating preprint:
Lab-created ‘SpudCell’ marks ‘stunning’ step toward building life from scratch
A synthetic cell can now grow and divide—but it’s still far from alive
www.science.org
July 1, 2026 at 4:45 PM
“It’s just a microscopic water droplet surrounded by a fatty membrane and stuffed with chemicals and snippets of DNA encoding a mere 36 genes. But it’s also arguably the closest researchers have come to building a living cell from scratch.”🧪
My story in @science.org on a fascinating preprint:
My story in @science.org on a fascinating preprint:
This synthetic cell is a ‘meaningful’ step towards building life from scratch
SpudCell can grow, replicate and divide, opening the door to a new era of biological engineering
www.sciencefocus.com/news/this-sy...
SpudCell can grow, replicate and divide, opening the door to a new era of biological engineering
www.sciencefocus.com/news/this-sy...
This synthetic cell is a ‘meaningful’ step towards building life from scratch | BBC Science Focus Magazine
SpudCell can grow, replicate and divide, opening the door to a new era of biological engineering
www.sciencefocus.com
September 21, 2026 at 8:17 PM
This synthetic cell is a ‘meaningful’ step towards building life from scratch
SpudCell can grow, replicate and divide, opening the door to a new era of biological engineering
www.sciencefocus.com/news/this-sy...
SpudCell can grow, replicate and divide, opening the door to a new era of biological engineering
www.sciencefocus.com/news/this-sy...
What do you call an organism with no evolutionary ancestors? SpudCell, apparently
Scientists have built a cell from the ground up
What do you call an organism with no evolutionary ancestors? SpudCell, apparently
econ.st
July 1, 2026 at 6:11 PM
What do you call an organism with no evolutionary ancestors? SpudCell, apparently
New Asimov Press episode with Kate Adamala. Her group made SpudCell, a synthetic cell capable of eating, growing, and dividing for at least five generations. Adamala thinks it might reproduce perpetually by 2030, a feat she claims would finally make it “alive.”
youtu.be/D4WywVQfIV4
youtu.be/D4WywVQfIV4
"SpudCell will replicate continuously by 2030" | Kate Adamala
Chemists at the University of Minnesota, led by Kate Adamala, recen...
www.youtube.com
September 17, 2026 at 8:40 PM
New Asimov Press episode with Kate Adamala. Her group made SpudCell, a synthetic cell capable of eating, growing, and dividing for at least five generations. Adamala thinks it might reproduce perpetually by 2030, a feat she claims would finally make it “alive.”
youtu.be/D4WywVQfIV4
youtu.be/D4WywVQfIV4
An artificial cell with a full lifecycle has been created for the first time
An artificial cell with a full lifecycle has been created for the first time
SpudCell can feed, divide, and even outcompete its siblings. It's not truly alive, its creator tells us, but it could still transform the bioengineering world
www.theregister.com
July 1, 2026 at 7:13 PM
An artificial cell with a full lifecycle has been created for the first time
Images Credit and Caption:
3. A super-resolution image of SpudCell’s liposomes. Credit: Orion Venero, Adamala Lab
4. SpudCell which contains a working translation system and metabolic enzymes. The red
membrane is stained with a lipid dye. Credit: Orion Venero, Adamala Lab
3. A super-resolution image of SpudCell’s liposomes. Credit: Orion Venero, Adamala Lab
4. SpudCell which contains a working translation system and metabolic enzymes. The red
membrane is stained with a lipid dye. Credit: Orion Venero, Adamala Lab
July 6, 2026 at 10:06 PM
Images Credit and Caption:
3. A super-resolution image of SpudCell’s liposomes. Credit: Orion Venero, Adamala Lab
4. SpudCell which contains a working translation system and metabolic enzymes. The red
membrane is stained with a lipid dye. Credit: Orion Venero, Adamala Lab
3. A super-resolution image of SpudCell’s liposomes. Credit: Orion Venero, Adamala Lab
4. SpudCell which contains a working translation system and metabolic enzymes. The red
membrane is stained with a lipid dye. Credit: Orion Venero, Adamala Lab
What makes something alive? We simply don't know, but synthetic biologists are a step closer to providing an answer thanks to SpudCell, the most sophisticated attempt at creating an artificial life form yet
Synthetic biology may finally be ready to solve life's biggest mystery
What makes something alive? We simply don't know, but synthetic biologists are a step closer to providing an answer thanks to SpudCell, the most sophisticated attempt at creating an artificial life form yet
www.newscientist.com
July 9, 2026 at 10:35 AM
What makes something alive? We simply don't know, but synthetic biologists are a step closer to providing an answer thanks to SpudCell, the most sophisticated attempt at creating an artificial life form yet
Lab-created ‘SpudCell’ marks ‘stunning’ step toward building life from scratch | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti... 🧪
Lab-created ‘SpudCell’ marks ‘stunning’ step toward building life from scratch
A synthetic cell can now grow and divide—but it’s still far from alive
www.science.org
July 2, 2026 at 5:05 PM
Lab-created ‘SpudCell’ marks ‘stunning’ step toward building life from scratch | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti... 🧪