In a new first for genetic engineering, scientists have developed a single-celled synthetic organism that grows and divides much like a normal cell, mimicking aspects of the cell division cycle that underlies and generates healthy living cellular life.
The achievement, demonstrated in an engineered unicellular bacteria-like life form called JCVI-syn3A, is the result of decades of genomic sequencing and analysis by scientists, exploring the roles individual genes play inside living creatures.
“Our goal is to know the function of every gene so we can develop a complete model of how a cell works,” says biophysicist James Pelletier from MIT and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
Scientists Built an Artificial Cell That Grows And Divides Like a Natural One
Scientists create artificial cell: “Our goal is to know the function of every gene so we can develop a complete model of how a cell works”
American Buddhist Net 